Triple Dog - A Daring Game
by Jay FireStrun
Summary: A seemingly innocent slumber party goes awry when six friends engage in a game of competitive dares, testing the limits of their friendship and will, and eventually uncovering the truth about the death of another student.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: What is up ladies and gentlemen? Jay RoboDog back at ya with another story! This story is a bit different from my other works. I hope you all like it all the same. It has a similar theme to**_ **I Will Try to Fix You, the second-best well-received story I've ever submitted.**

 **Prologue**

A group of girls with one guy strolled along in the woods toward a familiar bridge. In the lead, a girl with bright white hair flipped her bangs out of her face and smirked back at the group behind her. As they stepped onto the bridge, she turned around to face them and cracked a cocky smile. She looked right at a girl who covered her freshly-shaved head with the hood of a hoodie, who pouted and frowned angrily as she returned the gaze.

"Don't be mad, Syd. I think it brings out your eyes." The white-haired girl snickered as Sydney held out her middle finger and shook her head, her lack of hair feeling cold in the night breeze. Glenda let her be for the moment, and looked over at a certain indifferent girl, "So who's next, R.D.? It being your birthday and all."

"R.D." took a sip from a small flask she contained within a paper bag, before raising it between them, "You, Glen. Pick someone to dare you."

"Alright smart-ass, then how about you dare me?" Glenda scoffed, crossing her arms at the girl who had chosen her, "Make it good."

The girl known as "R.D." thought for a moment as she chewed at her lip, when finally something came to mind, "Jump."

"From? Specifics, R.D." Glenda readily asked, her daring and proud attitude not letting her back down.

"The bridge," R.D. gestured towards the bridge behind Glenda, and she turned to have a look at her challenge, "I Triple-Dog-dare you to jump off the bridge."

The two girls glared at each other for a moment, the dare hanging in the air between them. R.D. had once been close friends with Glenda, but the latter had grown into someone completely different as of late. She was angry and aggressive and conceited; R.D. had already decided this would be the last time they would hang out, and she was hoping her dare would piss Glenda off enough that she would never speak to her again. R.D. grinned as Glenda seemed initially hesitant, hoping to humiliate her.

"That's stupid." The third girl intervened loudly, but neither of the competitive girls paid her any heed.

"So is your head, baldy." Glenda snapped at the her, the bald-headed girl frowned. The older girl looked back and thought it over, smirking all the while as if it did not faze her. Finally, she glanced back at the standoff-ish girl and asked, "How much is in the pot?"

"Two hundred and forty bucks, along with my Pre-Pro Tony Hawk board and Sydney's 24-karat gold necklace," R.D. responded as she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I'd say you could put it in my pocket right now, but I don't want it getting wet." The white-haired girl grinned as she started towards the bridge, and Skylar took another swig before following.

Glenda Euler put her hands on the ledge of the bridge, pulling herself up. Her feet stepped between the planks of wood as she got onto it, and she rose to her full height. The other girls stood around beside her, watching on as she peered into the raging river below. A smile slowly graced Glenda's confident lips as she looked back at the girls she had dragged along for the silly, dangerous game. She brought her hand to her lips, kissing her fingers before extending it out from her chin, blowing it to the group.

The waters below were colorless, black and deep with swift and angular white waves, which crashed about as the water ate through the rock. Glenda stepped closer to the edge, feeling the fronts of her feet hanging off the ledge teasingly. She never backed down from a challenge, and followed them through fearlessly. The drop was not short, but the fall seemed fast, and her whole body disappeared into the darkness of those tar-like waves.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One:**

 **How This Whole Crazy Night Began**

Skylar Berkeley was in school, lazily tapping her pencil to the cafeteria table. Her tray of food sat before her, and it was completely uneaten. It was quite a shame, to be honest. Skylar had purposefully stacked it with all kinds of food: a banana, a turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac 'n cheese, spinach, a cheeseburger, french fries, and pizza.

All of it would go uneaten, and eventually Skylar made her way to the trash can and dumped her tray. Thankfully it was a styrofoam tray, so she didn't have to go to the old lady standing behind the counter. The old lady was known lovingly as Granny Jones, and she was the grandmother of Skylar's best friend Anna Jones. Skylar left the cafeteria in much the same way as she'd entered it; bored and dispassionate.

The rest of the day went by in a haze, and honestly Skylar wouldn't even remember most of it. All she knew was that the time on her watch read 2:50, and that meant it was time for her to go. Skylar brushed her rainbow-dyed hair out of her face and pulled on her helmet (Safety first, right?) before grabbing her beloved skateboard and tossing it onto the pavement. Skylar hopped onto it and kicked off with her feet, taking off down the hill that led away from school. As Skylar boarded through High Pointe, she let her earbuds blast all of her favorite tunes, not even trying to do awesome tricks and combos.

Skylar didn't notice the admiration and applause she got as she did a Handstand manual across an intersection, before using her hands to do a kick-flip and get right-side-up. Skylar didn't hear the cheering as she Pop-Shove-It'ed over a small ledge, Ollie'd onto a guardrail, 50-50'ed into a Tail-grind and double-heel-flipped over a staircase. That combo left half the park in paralyzed awe, and Skylar was oblivious to all of it.

While Skylar Berkeley thrived on attention and being seen as awesome and being the best, she didn't seem to notice that everyone around her was cheering and shouting out compliments. Skylar merely continued on her way home, Ollie'ing over her low hedge and rolling off her board, picking it up by the axel and walking to her front door. Skylar pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, stepping into her small house.

"Skylar? Is that you, honey?" Her mother called from the kitchen. As Skylar took in a deep breath, she realized that her mother was making her favorite treat; cinnamon-chocolate chip-vanilla cookies. Skylar breathed in that sweet, sweet scent as she walked down the front door, locking the front door behind herself.

"Yes, Mom! Is Sarah home yet?" Skylar asked as she came into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe and smiling at her mother.

"Not yet, sweetie. Did you have fun at school today?" Skylar's mother was beautiful in a homely way. She had child-bearing hips and curvy features, attributes that led to some of Skylar's classmates calling Mrs. Berkeley a "MILF," a fact that both her and Skylar took in stride.

"Why do you ask me that everyday, Mom? You know I hate school. It was made even worse because today, the students on the Principal's Honor Roll took a field-trip, and the Drama Department went on one as well. So...none of my friends were there. Not a single, fucking, one." Skylar said bitterly, sitting down on her favorite stool at the island.

"Don't swear, Skylar. Please? I know it's part of your teenage rebellion, but humor me while you're at home, OK?" Mrs. Berkeley asked her daughter, putting the second batch of cookies into the oven and removing the first.

"Sorry, Mom, it just slips out sometimes." Skylar said truthfully, "Plus, I don't have anything to rebel about. You're the best Mom ever, and Sarah is the coolest little sister alive. Speaking of, do you mind if I go and pick her up?"

"Oh, Skye, you're so full of it," Her mother laughed, though her pleasant features were split by a larger-than-life smile, "and no, Sarah is getting a ride home with Mark. He's picking up Callie, and he said he'd be delighted to bring them both over. It's Friday, after all. I imagine Mr. Steele will be bringing Bella over later, so we'll have another sleepover on our hands."

The dynamic between mother and daughter was the kind that every mother would kill for. Growing up without Dad being there all the time, Skylar had never known any other way of living than helping her Mom with everything she could. When Sarah had been born six years after Skylar, Skylar had helped in every way she could, even going so far as to put her to bed when Mrs. Berkeley came home late, exhausted from working three jobs. For awhile, life had been...normal, until the day Mr. Berkeley died in a...her mother had called it a "freak accident" at the summer camp where he worked as a counselor. His death date was July 22nd; Skylar's 10th birthday.

His golden-brown was something she'd never forget, or his startling gray eyes that seemed to cloud over like a storm when he was in deep thought. He'd loved her dearly, and she'd adored him. She sometimes found herself asking her mother about him, and was treated to an amazing tale of how her father fought off the demons in his mind and turned into someone almost completely different. Not a day went by that she wasn't reminded of his favorite saying: "How do you know your true strength if you never push yourself?"

As Skylar's mother turned around, the rainbow-haired rebel reached across the island and grabbed one of the delicious-looking cookies, bringing it to her mouth, "Skylar Rebecca Delilah Berkeley!" Her mother said with conviction, causing Skylar to squeal and drop the cookie onto the counter.

"Eh he he he...yes, Mother?" Skylar asked sheepishly.

"Don't eat the cookies yet. Let Sarah and Callie get home before you do."

"But Mooo-oooom! I'll be going to Anna's soon!" Skylar begged, using her puppy-dog face. Mrs. Berkeley turned around at just the wrong moment, and after ten seconds of indecision, relented and waved a hand.

"Fine." She grumbled.

"WHOO! Thanks Mom! You're the best!" Skylar cheered, picking up the cookie and taking an appreciative bite.

"Is the whole gang going to be at Haley's, later?" Her mother asked as she turned back to the counter.

"Ee-yup. We're going to be spending the whole weekend together. Er, if that's okay with you?"

"Well...Tara and Riley are very responsible...plus Anna and Haley aren't ones for childish behavior, so...OK, fine. It's going to be for Anna's birthday, right?" Mrs. Berkeley relented and asked.

"Yup. Normally I'd love to see Sarah and Callie, but I'd really like to leave before they get here, mainly so I don't have to worry about what will happen when they find out I'll be leaving and they can't come."

"I agree it would be an issue...okay, so you can go ahead and go, I guess. Just...honey, be safe, OK?" Mrs. Stallanos looked into her daughter's eyes, remembering what happened last time Skylar had gone out on a sleepover.

 _Skylar raced inside her house, tears streaming down her face._

 _"Hey, Skylar? What's wrong, baby?" Mrs. Berkeley asked as she raced to her daughter, wrapping the rebel in a motherly embrace._

 _Skylar's shoulders shook as she sobbed like a baby into her mother's chest, "N-n-n-not now, M-M-M-Mom..."_

 _"Okay, sweetie. We'll talk about that later. Just be calm, OK? You're fine, sweetie. You're fine."_

 _Skylar took many deep breaths, and after about an hour she found herself in her bed, snuggled under the covers and with her mother sitting beside her, rubbing her daughter's back._

 _"M-M-M-mom..." Skylar said quietly, "h-have you...ever dared s-s-someone to do something really...really stupid?"_

 _"Not dared, baby, but...I did do something pretty stupid."_

 _"Um...wh-what was it?"_

 _"A very long time ago, I let my head get in the way of what my heart was telling me. If I had pushed it off much longer...I never would have ended up marrying your father."_

 _"Oh..."_

As Skylar left her house once more, she remembered something, something she had been doing every week for some time, now. Skylar stopped at a bridge, a familiar bridge. She bit her lip anxiously, walking up to the makeshift cross that hung from the overhead support beam. Skylar drew her Swiss Army Knife and carved one more tic mark into the wood.

"26. 26 weeks. God, I'm... I'm so, so sorry..." Skylar wiped her eyes furiously, blew the cross a kiss, and took off on her skateboard, heading away from town to her friend's farm. On the way out of town, Skylar passed a place on 7th called "Al's Game Center," a popular hangout for some of Skylar's more...colorful friends.

"Yo Berkely!" One of those friends called out. It belonged to Seth McIntyre, one of Skylar's basketball managers, and a member of the boy's soccer team at High Pointe High, "Triple-Dog-dare ya to 'board 'round in the rainstorm that's comin' this way! For one hour!"

Skylar nearly fell off her board and her mouth became very dry at the words "Triple-Dog-dare," but she wasn't about to show her fear, "Sure thing, Mick! S'long as you show up to school on Monday in a pink tutu! Triple-Dog-dare ya!" She responded, boarding right past him and ripping the paper bagged flask out of his hands. Seth called out to her angrily, but Skylar was already long gone. Taking a swig from the flask, Skylar's tastebuds leapt for joy at the taste of that sweet, sweet alcohol. Seth knew how to get the good shit, there was no denying it. Skylar couldn't believe Seth would dare her like that. He knew what happened last year.

Unfortunately for Skylar, the rain kicked in while she was still drinking. The rain was dangerous in-of-itself, but add on the fact that she was beginning to get tipsy and that meant she was about to be in real trouble. When Skylar bailed, hard, and sprained her wrist in her fall, she had no idea where she was. The rain was pouring down all around her, and it was like a fucking wall. Skylar struggled to her feet and wiped the rain from her eyes. She was glad that her hood, belonging to her hooded T-shirt, was up and under her helmet, meaning that one part of her favorite shirt was dry.

Skylar wasn't completely unlucky, as the helmet cam she'd installed a week ago had recorded her two hours on the board, meaning that once she got back to Sev she could show him the dare she'd completed and force him to do his. That brought a smile to her half-drunk face. Skylar finished the alcohol in one big draft, and then pocketed the flask. She wanted to toss it at Seth's head later.

Skylar squinted against the downpour, picking up her skateboard and holding it over her head, trying to keep the now-slanting rain from hitting her in the face. Not only was it pouring hard, but the rain felt like ice chips hitting her in the face. Skylar was shivering and stumbling as she tried making her way through the dark, eventually making out a porch light and some windows, her subconscious knowing for certain that this was her friend Anna Jones' house.

Skylar approached the house, shivering from the freezing rain and stumbling from the alcohol, before finally knocking on the door. Her half-drunk mind told her to use her right arm, which was the one she'd just hurt badly. Her curse and her gasp of pain caused a ruckus on the other side of the door. After about...six minutes, the door finally opened to reveal a beautiful blonde girl with enchanting sap-green eyes and an honest face. The girl wore real short plaid pyjama bottoms and a form-fitting tank top, her blonde hair down and cascading over her broad shoulders. Skylar bit her lip and just about keeled over.

"Oh my God, Skye! Get in here 'fore you freeze t'death!" The farm-girl yelped, grabbing Skylar's arm and pulling her in out of the storm. Thankfully, the blonde had pulled Skylar's left arm. Noticing the blinking red light on Skylar's helmet, the blonde reached up and switched it off.

"H-hey thhh're Ajh-jhay..." Skylar slurred, leaning heavily on her friend. AJ knew right then that Skylar wasn't going to be much help at all, and went about supporting her friend all the way up the stairs and into the bathroom, where she propped Skylar up on the toilet seat and rushed to her bedroom, getting a pair of black jeans, a black bra and underwear, a black tank top, and black socks.

Skylar, to AJ's surprise, was already bottomless but for the pair of underwear she wore. Skylar took the bundle of clothes while AJ stepped out, and after much stumbling around and some epic falls, Skylar was dressed in warm clothes, but pulled her hooded tee and her small black stocking cap back on, much to AJ's chagrin. Skylar also took the liberty of putting the clothes into a plastic bag and setting it by the door.

"Y-you can come i-in, An-na..." Skylar shivered a bit more, and Anna did just that. Her blonde hair was slightly wet from holding Skylar's soaking form earlier, and when Skylar noticed this she frowned and looked Anna in the eyes, "Sorry..."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it, Sugarcube. You're more 'portant to me than hair and some clothes," Anna said firmly, making Skylar blush a bit. However, Anna told herself it was just the alcohol.

"Thanks, Anna...s-so...H-happy B-birthd-day...I g-got you somethin...it's in my b-bag over there," Skylar said, smiling at her best friend.

"Oh really? It's not gonna jump out 'n bite me, right?" Anna asked warily.

"C-course n-not Anna. You'll l-like it." Skylar told her with a small smile. Anna rose an eyebrow but walked over to the bag anyway, opening it slowly. Inside the bag was another bag, one that was waterproof. Anna pulled out that bag and opened it, finding a box that was pretty big; too big to be anything other than shoes.

"Skye, ya didn't have ta git me nothin' too fancy," Anna said with a blush.

"J-just open the d-damn thing, AJ," Skylar said with an eye roll. Anna nodded and opened the box, her eyes widening as she stared at the boots. They were beautiful brown cowgirl boots, with tan trim that made a set of three apples mid-shin, and they were clearly waterproof.

"Skylar Berkeley! These must'a cost a fortune!" Anna exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand.

"You're w-worth every p-penny," Skylar said honestly, blushing herself.

"Tell me how much these cost, Skye. Please?" Anna begged, pulling off her old boots and putting the new ones.

"265 dollars." Skylar said instantly, looking Anna in her eyes. Anna's eyes widened to the point where Skylar feared they would pop out of her head.

"T-two hundred and sixty-five d-dollars?! You spent that much on me?!" Anna shouted, staring at her best friend. Anna had heard the rumors about her best friend; that Skylar Berkeley was a lesbian and had a crush on Anna Jones. Anna had shrugged them off, dismissing them as being completely untrue. However...now...Anna realized that there might have been some truth to those rumors. It would explain how clingy Skylar had gotten of late, and would definitely explain how after that one moment in the locker room three days ago Skylar had been avoiding her more and more.

"Yes. Anna, when was the last time someone bought you anything over 50 dollars?" Skylar asked her seriously.

"Er...I s'pose it's been quite a long time, Sugarcube." Anna said truthfully.

"Exactly. And dammit, Jones, you deserve to have money spent on you! Seriously, you should have someone willing to take you out to dinner or a movie, someone who appreciates you and doesn't objectify you. You deserve better than what you've been settling for lately. As your friend, Anna, there's only so much I can do to help. So here ya go, you can have these." Skylar said firmly, her tone brokering no argument. Anna just stared at her friend, before nodding slowly.

"You...you are full o' surprises, Lasky. Not many of them very good. But thank ya kindly all th' same." Anna said sincerely, tipping her hat to her best friend. Now it was Skylar's turn to blush, and the girl shrugged without saying a word. An excited call broke the moment, and Skylar had never been more happy to look away from the other girl.

"AAAAANNNNNN-NNNNNAAAA! C'mon already!" The voice belonged to the one and only Penny Loverly. She was a pink-haired eccentric who loved parties and was addicted to fun. If she was here, that meant the others surely were as well. Skylar finished squeezing the water from her hair, tucking it under the cap once more and smiling at Anna.

"Let's go have fun."

The slumber party began like any other; the girls exclaiming their surprise and pleasure upon seeing that Skylar had made it, Haley suggesting they do each other's hair and do each other's nails. Obviously, Skylar sat these two activities out.

"I...I don't like people touching my hands...or hair." The other girls had looked moderately surprised at this revelation, but no one questioned it. Skylar seemed to almost fade into the background while the others fussed and permed and brushed and things of that nature. Perhaps that was for the best, though, as it gave Skylar time to plan out her idea for the night.

"I say, Anna, I never thought your hair would be so soft. Dare I ask what conditioner you use?" Haley asked, awe and some envy present in her voice. Haley was a fashionista by all accounts, and had dreams of becoming a top-level designer after graduating from college.

She'd designed the uniforms for the high school football, soccer, track and field, lacrosse, rugby, hockey, baseball, basketball, tennis, swim, and volleyball teams this year and last year. Skylar knew this because she was a member of each team at one time or another, captaining a few as well, and had been blown away by her friend's skill.

"Aw shucks, Hale. Thank ya. Well...Ah've never really thought 'bout it before-" Anna began, furrowing her eyebrows in thought.

"Yeah, 'cause you're not a complete fashion freak like fire crotch over there," Skylar interrupted, jerking a thumb in Haley's direction. The red-head bristled over the insult, and drew breath to respond in kind when Tara jumped in.

"Girls, can we please go one night without you two going at it? Seriously, it's Anna's birthday. Show a little consideration, please." The bookworm implored them while scolding them. Tara was the only one who could scold Skylar and not get a withering remark, or a fist in the eye. She was a studious girl with black hair so dark it gleamed purple, and before meeting the other five girls Tara had been a socially awkward bookworm. Though she was still a bookworm now, she was much more outgoing. Skylar shoved her hands in her pockets, sending Haley a withering glare.

"The egghead's right. Soz, Hale." Not exactly an apology, but that was the best any one of them would get from Skylar at the moment. Haley inclined her head in response.

"Yes, Tara makes an excellent point. You're forgiven, darling. Past is in the past," she chirped, going back to doing Anna's hair. A muffled squeak alerted them to the presence of Penny and Riley, and the latter was thrashing around desperately. Riley finally wrenched herself from Penny's grasp and ran from the room crying.

"Penny! What did you do?!" Skylar demanded, storming over to the blue-eyed girl. Penny put her hands up desperately.

"I just tried to get her to try cutting her hair! I don't even have scissors on me, I swear, I was just saying! Then, when she got upset, I tried to change the topic and ask her if she was looking into plastic surgery." The girl was terrified, and so were the other two. They'd never seen Skylar so angry. Skylar wrapped her hand around Penny's throat, her eyes blazing with cold fire.

"YOU IDIOT! HER HAIR IS THAT LONG SO IT HIDES THE SCARS! SHE TOLD YOU THAT! AND HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT SHE MIGHT WANT PLASTIC SURGERY?!" Skylar released Penny from the choking grasp, turning around and running through the doorway to the most probable place Riley would go; the roof. During a rainstorm, she loved being out on roofs when she had things to think about, as she was able to think clearly when surrounded by cool rain. Skylar climbed the stairs to the roof and looked around for her friend, hoping she hadn't slipped.

"RIILEEEY? You out here?" Skylar called, cupping her mouth to make her voice louder. She heard a "Yes" from somewhere in front of her, and she continued that way until she saw her long-haired friend.

Riley was Skylar's oldest friend, and at the young age of seven the two of them witnessed Riley's father's anger first-hand. His actions toward the little girls caused him to go to jail for a very long time, and as if that hadn't been enough he was released last year and came back for her, almost killing her before Skylar arrived and, like last time, stopped him from killing her friend. As Skylar was older by that point, she had the knowledge and skills to end the man's life, though both girls would be in therapy for awhile after that, just like last time.

Riley had kept her hair longer and longer, letting the light brown get darker. Riley and Skylar knew everything about each other, including who they liked, who they couldn't stand, what they thought about on certain topics, and understood when one of them was hurting. As such, Skylar knew that Riley had let her hair grow out to hide the scars of her father's abuse, and she objected to plastic surgery because it involved knives, and her father used to cut her with them and threaten to rearrange her features.

As Skylar approached and sat down beside her, Riley snuggled close and closed her eyes, letting the tears and sobs do the talking. Skylar rubbed her friend's shoulders, cooing softly and showing a kindness and tenderness that was so unlike her, Riley was almost convinced that it was not her friend holding her. Neither girl was aware of being watched, though perhaps it was for the best as it gave Skylar a chance to express her true affection and calm her friend.


	3. Chapter Two

_**A/N: Yers, I know this is not what you all meant when you said you wanted a continuation of**_ **I Will Try to Fix You** ** _. But, I have decided to tell the story of his and Maddie's daughter. So_** **MEH** ** _to you. :P_**

 ** _Now, while I understand that this may not be as well-receieved, I do hope you all can enjoy the subtle nods I will make to the original. And, to make things even better, I will continue to update_** **I Will Try to Fix You.**

 **Chapter Two**

 **The Prissy One Gets Uncouth & The Shy One Gets Perv-y**

"Woah...Ah can't believe Ah jus saw Skylar comforting Riles. Can ya'll believe that?" Anna asked the other two when they were safely back in bedroom.

"Absolutely not. I must say that perhaps we have judged Skylar a tad too harshly over the years. After all, Riley is her oldest friend, so of course given what they've been through together they'd love each other." Haley found herself nodding at her own statement, completely certain of its credibility, while Anna found herself staring at Haley in shock, her mind whirling as it tried to make sense of those words.

"Love? That ain't love, sugar cube, that's just-" Anna began, feeling a little panicked.

"OF COURSE it's love, silly-willy! What else could it be, huh? Those two came out of the closet to the school and Skylar's mom together two years ago! On top of that, she was the one Skylar cried her eyes out to when her Dad died. Remember? She stayed shut up in her room for weeks, and the only one allowed to see her was Riley." Penny stated each fact with a broad, larger-than-life smile, while Anna felt her heart almost stop. She wasn't even completely certain of why she was so worried, because she and Skylar were just friends. Right?

"Even I noticed something between them a long time ago, when I first met you guys. Riley is the only one that can calm Skylar down just by speaking. Did you hear about the fight in the library seven days ago? The reason Skylar got a three-day out of school suspension?" Tara spoke up from her list of party activities, hastily rescheduling it all as she made time for however long the two girls would be up on the roof.

"Ah'd actually forgotten 'bout that. What does that hafta do with Riley, though?" Anna asked, confusion evident on her freckled face.

"It has everything to do with everything, darling! Why, it was only because of Riley's intervention that Skylar didn't abjectly kill Sydney Gates. According to Stefanie Fuego's official report of the incident, all Riley really did was say Skylar's name, and Skylar immediately let Sydney go. I know for certain that Skylar would have just ignored either of us," Haley looked at all of them in turn, and each girl nodded her head, even Anna. Anna had to admit it was all sounding very convincing.

"Well, whatever's goin on 'tween them, it ain't none of ar business, an' we shouldn't be talkin' 'bout it behind their backs," Anna decided firmly, her gaze meeting each girl's until she looked away. They all agreed that it was rude of them to gossip about their two close friends. Each one started as a familiar raspy, high-pitched voice spoke.

"Yeah, it isn't any of your business. For the record, though, Riley and I aren't together. We're just really, really close friends," Skylar stated as she sat the shivering girl beside her down. Dressed in fresh and warm clothes as she was, Riley was shivering more from the after-effects of her emotions than a reaction to cold. The clothes she was wearing were ones Skylar had left the last time she'd been at the Jones Family Ranch.

"Riley, darling, are you alright? We're all terribly pleased to see you out of the rain," Haley was the first to speak, moving forward to Riley and taking her hand. Riley nodded shyly, tucking her long hair over one ear.

"Riley? I'm...I'm really, really sorry..." Penny had tears in her pale-blue eyes as she spoke, her body trembling from anticipation. Skylar didn't make any moves, and Riley stood up to hug the other girl. Penny broke down in Riley's arms, muttering apology after apology.

"It's okay, Penny. I know you didn't mean to upset me. It's really OK," Riley repeated this until Penny regained control of her emotions, backing up and smiling broadly.

"Friends, right?" She asked hopefully, and Riley nodded in agreement.

"Of course!" She declared. Touching as this all was, Anna noticed something off in the way Skylar was standing. She looked like she wanted to say something, and after deliberating it carefully was merely waiting for the right time to say it.

"It's Anna's birthday," Skylar reminded everyone, stepping away from the doorway and taking a seat on the edge of Anna's bed as she addressed the rest of the room, "We should do whatever she wants to do."

"Well," Anna was never really comfortable when the attention was solely on her, so she chewed a bit on her lip as she tried to come up with something. Clearly there was someone around who was better with that stuff than she was, so she looked over at her best friend, "Tell us Skye, what did you have in mind?"

Skylar smirked widely, this had been exactly what she had been waiting for, "What about," she stood up and strolled around the room, gauging reactions and stopping but a foot in front of Anna as the next two words left her mouth, "Triple Dog?"

The group looked around at each other nervously, unfamiliar with whatever it was Skylar was promoting. Skylar looked back at Anna with a one-sided smirk, hoping for her support. Tara was the first to speak up, "Triple Dog? What's that?"

"Triple Dog is a game, like Truth or Dare," Skylar explained to her friends, who listened closely, "Except without the truth."

Anna nodded and a smirk graced her face, that same old crooked smile that Skylar knew so well. Before anyone opposed the idea, the birthday girl spoke up, "Okay, I'm in."

"Um, I-I'm not sure..." Riley stuttered nervously, clutching her bag closer to her and letting her hair fall over her eyes. Skylar had expected some resistance, but the appeal of dares could not be resisted for long.

"Come on Riley, it'll be fun." Tara seemed to agree as she wiped the mud mask off her face with a damp cloth, smiling at her shy friend, "It may not have been on my approved party game list, but Truth or Dare was. When do we ever do exciting stuff like this? This is what slumber parties are all about, I read about it, trust me."

Riley squeaked a bit but seemed to ease up, nodding faintly, "A-All right, okay... If you want."

"Sweet, this is going to be awesome." Skylar pumped her fist into the air before directing her attention to her best friend once more, "Anna, we're going to need a video camera and an electric shaver, think you can handle that?"

"Mark's got both, I'll go get 'em from his room." Anna nodded unsurely, but followed the instructions and went to get the required items.

"What do we need those for?" Penny tilted her head curiously, wonder getting the best of her.

"Oh, you'll see." Skylar grinned sneakily as she walked over to the door and peeked out, waiting for Anna to return before she went on. Finally, the blonde girl came back with both items in her hands, easily borrowing them from her trusting brother.

"Okay everyone, empty your wallets and bags. Everything valuable, cough it up. It's part of the game." Skylar said as she waved the girls around her, pulling out her own wallet, "Don't worry, you'll get it back. Maybe. Whoever does the most awesome dare at the end of the night gets to keep the whole pot."

The rest of the girls pulled up seats around Skylar, doing as she said and placing their valuables on the floor in the middle. Anna came over and sat beside Skylar on the bed, watching the scene unfold. Once all that was done, Skylar leaned down and had a look at the pot, counting the money and gauging the value of the objects. Anna watched her friend lean forward, trying not to take notice of the lace that peeked out from her pants.

"All right, so we have," Skylar began, going over the loot once more as she narrated it, "One hundred and fifty-eight dollars, a gold cupcake pin, two gold earrings, some old worn book, two tickets to the Blue Angels, an iPhone, and...and brown leather cowgirl boots with apples on them..." Skylar cocked an eyebrow at Anna, who shrugged.

"So, how exactly does this work?" Haley asked with an annoyed expression. Clearly this was not what she had intended to come from a slumber party with her friends.

"Rule number one: everyone gives one dare, everyone gets one dare." Skylar explained simply as she leaned back up and addressed the group. Once she was certain that was understood, she went on, "Rule number two: you get to pick who dares you. Rule number three: you have to perform the dare you are given, and if you don't?" She picked up the razor from beside her and turned it on, letting the roaring sound of the electric device tell what she then spoke aloud, "You get your head shaved."

"Shaved?! Like, bald, shaved?" Haley gasped out loud and grabbed at her hair, digging her fingers into it like she would protect it with her life. "I suddenly don't want to play any more."

"Yes, shaved." Skylar nodded as she turned the device off, placing it back behind Anna, "Now, if you find that you don't want to perform the dare, you can challenge the person who dared you to perform it instead. However, if they do it, you get your head shaved for chickening out." Skylar looked around the room, checking their expressions to be certain it was understood, "So don't dare someone to do something you can't do yourself, or it might backfire."

"What kind of dares?" Penny asked, her excitement bubbling up and she bounced in her seat.

"Anything goes, except daring someone to shave their head. Am I understood?" Skylar tilted her head and waited for any more questions.

"Yeah, I think we got it." Tara nodded as she leaned forward in her seat, rather intrigued by her first adult slumber party game.

Skylar's one-sided smirk told of her confidence, and she leaned over and peered at her best friend, "All right, the birthday girl decides the order. Go for it, Jones."

"Me?" Anna blinked, uncertain of what to do. Skylar nodded and nudged her, gesturing for her to hurry and pick someone, "Well, if y'say so. Lemme see here," Anna looked around the room, noticing only one girl who seemed to utterly protest the game for unknown or selfish reasons, "Haley first."

"Me?! Why would you pick me?!" Haley gasped, very unhappy with the situation.

"'Cause you don't wanna play, Hale." Anna smiled at her friend's distress, but tried to calm her down, "Come on, just get it over with and you can watch the rest'a the time. Right? Go 'head, pick someone to dare you."

"I will not forget this, Anna." Haley turned her nose up at the thoughtlessness, but did as she was told and looked around the room to find someone to dare her, "Riley, you dare me."

"Me? I don't know, I'm not sure if I, well if I can think up something exciting enough," Riley's face fell as she tried to think up someone worthy of her friends' attention. Skylar nodded her head in encouragement, smiling warmly. Riley gathered her confidence, "Um, I guess I can try. Promise not to laugh though, I-I dare you..."

"You Triple-Dog-dare her, to?" Skylar corrected her friend loudly, and Riley squeaked once before starting again.

Riley tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded, looking over at Haley, "Oh, right, I Triple-Dog-dare you to..."

"I hate you all." Haley said flatly as she got out of her parents' sport utility vehicle and slammed the door closed, crossing her arms defiantly and turning her nose up.

"Come on Hale, you have to do it, that's the game." Skylar pointed out as she jumped out of the back of the vehicle, leaving the door open so the others could get out. She glanced back down the dirt road they had just driven down, waiting for Anna to arrive.

"If I didn't have the threat of baldness looming, I would not even consider this." Haley concluded, looking around at the blooming suburban area they had found. Even though it was late at night by now, certainly there would be people awake.

"That's the point! Pushing your limits and shit. And trust me, it will be fun." Skylar tried to calm her nerves, but turned abruptly around when she heard trotting in the distance. She hurried out to greet her friend, and grinned as she came into view.

Anna rode up to the group in full gallop, riding one of her family's most trustworthy horses. Of course, if they were going to make Haley do something so uncouth, Anna had to make sure it was at least safe. She trotted to a stop in front of them, adjusting her hat as she looked down at the reluctant woman below. Swinging her boot over the side of the horse, Anna dismounted and made certain the saddle was still on securely.

"This is ridiculous." Haley muttered as she winced, looking at the tall animal before her, while certainly she thought they were some of the most gorgeous of creatures, being so near or even considering riding one was unheard of.

"Well, if you don't think you can do it, you can always challenge Riles to do it instead," Skylar reminded her, but a smile ran across her face, "Of course, Riley loves animals, so she would have no problem with this. And if she does do it, I'm shaving your head."

"You're too cruel." Haley whined loudly, cringing as Anna directed her beside the horse. Anna's hands were rather dirty from gathering the horse and riding up, and Haley frowned as she gestured for her to climb up.

"It'll be alright, just get on up slow like, anythin' goes wrong I'm right here to help." Anna said comfortingly, and Skylar yawned obnoxiously as she waited for things to get started. "Just make sure you ain't tuggin' too tight on the reins or kickin' about, might make him a bit antsy, y'hear?"

"Oh, he's the one going to be antsy, is he?" Haley scoffed as she nervously stood in front of the animal, which flicked his tail about absently.

"Just get up there already." Skylar barked, rolling her eyes.

"All right, one foot right here, that's good." Anna directed Haley and helped her onto the horse's back, though her contorted expression made her seem utterly appalled.

"You left the keys in the ignition, right?" Skylar asked as she peered over her shoulder and stood on her toes, trying to see into the vehicle.

"Yes, just as you asked." Haley concurred as Anna handed her the reins, rubbing the horse on the neck as if soothing it or warning it.

"Sweet, A.J., you're riding shotgun and manning the camera." Skylar nodded to her friend, who heard her though she was otherwise occupied.

"Now it's important y'know how to stop, just try to make yourself seem a mite heavier and gently pull back on the reins, 'kay?" Anna tried to show her with her hands, but Haley didn't seem too keen on the idea.

"Darling, a woman never tries to seem heavier." Haley flipped her hair and adjusted herself on the hard saddle, dissatisfied with the circumstances to say the least. She played with the reins and seemed to get a better grip on them, and Anna just hoped she didn't do anything too dangerous.

"Y'got it?" Anna asked as she stepped back, making certain her feet were securely in the stirrups. Haley nodded and turned her nose up, looking out at the streets before her.

A grin broke out on Riley's face suddenly, a last-second idea as a means of getting revenge for an earlier slam on her style of dress, "Take off your shirt."

"WHAT?!" Haley demanded, but knew the consequences, "I hate you, Jones. Hate you." Haley took off her shirt, and her bra for good measure. Her nipples immediately grew rock hard.

"Awesome, you'd better hold on tight," Skylar grinned as she slipped around a curious Anna, who watched Skylar's devious smirk appear anew. "Giddy up!" Skylar slapped the horse on the rear, spooking it and sending it into a near-full sprint.

"Berke-leYYYYYY!" Haley screamed as the horse carried her off, and Anna just gaped and watched the diva cry out to the wind.

"Game on." Skylar clapped and laughed loudly, jumping into a jog and climbing into the vehicle, "Move it, cowgirl!"

Anna ran around the vehicle and climbed into the passenger's seat, grabbing the camera off the dashboard. Skylar hurriedly started up the car and put it into gear, chasing after the still-shouting girl down the seemingly-empty streets. The other three girls squealed with excitement in the back, rolling down the windows to get a better look as they drove up right behind her. Her expression was sheer terror as the horse bolted down the streets, and she could barely keep upright with all the shaking and galloping. Skylar rolled down her own window and began to shout.

"Come one, come all! Witness the fashion diva turned rodeo star blaze a trail through your neighborhood!" Skylar yelled into the darkness, "That's right, one night, and one night only! You can't get this sort of entertainment on triple-x pay-on-demand cable, people!"

"I can't believe she's doing it!" Tara exclaimed in shock as she watched her friend race below the street lights, her hair blowing about behind her and getting messed up.

"Never again will you see anything quite like this, folks, get it while it's fresh!" Skylar laughed and hollered as Anna filmed it all, her own expression surprisingly impressed.

"Oh my gosh," Penny gasped as they passed an elderly man watering his plants, who gawked and stared as they rode and drove past him, "Ride, Haley, ride!"

The girls caught up right beside her on the horse and made out something of words through her shrill screaming, "I can't stop it, Anna!"

"Just ease up Hale, quit screamin' already," Anna leaned over Skylar and called out her window, while Skylar just continued to laugh and cheer.

"Look!" Tara pointed as their attention returned to the road, where a new model red sports car turned down the street, honking twice as they saw Haley rushing towards them.

"Nice riding, Steele!" A male voice called from the car as a cell phone emerged from the window, snapping a photo or two as they passed.

The girls in the car noticed right away that the red convertible belonged to a certain Blake Taggart himself, who was driving as his friend snapped the pictures. They all exchanged shocked and amused glances as Haley began to slow down around the next turn, and Skylar drove right up behind her still howling. Finally the horse seemed to calm down and slowed to a trot, stopping entirely as Haley tugged on the reins once more and sat there in shock. They pulled up right next to her and Anna immediately jumped out, going over to make sure everything was okay.

"That was so much better than I expected!" Skylar guffawed as she leaned back in the seat, shaking her head as she watched Anna help the stunned girl off of the horse and over to the vehicle. Anna went back to the horse and climbed on easily, turning it around with precision and gesturing for Rainbow to drive after her back to the farm. "First successful triple dog of the evening." Skylar leaned out the window as she called and extended her hand towards Anna, who high-fived it on her way by.

Haley still held her breath with wide eyes as she sat in the passenger's seat, until a few simple words escaped her mouth. "That was the worst—possible—thing."

"I can't believe you did that." Tara told her as she leaned forward and put a hand on her pale friend's shoulder. Anna gave the poor girl her bra and shirt back.

"I have new respect for you, Hale." Skylar snickered as she followed Anna back to the farm, watching the way she would look over her shoulder and make sure they were there.

"I cannot say the same, you could have gotten me killed." Haley complained as she fixed her hair in the mirror above her head that came down over the windshield, "It's this sort of absurd and dangerous behavior that got you suspended."

"Suspended? I thought Principal Celeste just called you into her office?" Tara gasped as the truth was revealed, and Skylar refused to meet her gaze in the rear view mirror, instead intent on watching Anna sway back and forth on the horse.

"At first, yeah." She merely muttered like it was no big deal, leaning her arm on the still-open windowsill.

 _Skylar Berkeley obnoxiously blew a bubble in her gum and chewed it back into her mouth, reading over a book of Mad Libs for fun. She flipped the page to start a new one and bit the cap off her pen, flipping it around in her hand. She sat with Haley on one side and Riley on the other, with Seth McIntyre and Stefanie Fuego across from them. Usually the groups did not mingle, but they were all together in study hall and there were few tables to choose from._

 _Skylar didn't even bother looking up as Stefanie turned around and whipped a gummy candy at the back of a chair across the room. Skylar already knew who she was throwing them at, the same girl she herself had a grudge against, one Sydney Gates. She was the kind of girl who made a habit of making enemies._

 _"Adjective." Skylar said blankly, moving the gum from one side of her mouth to another._

 _"Um? What's an adjective?" Seth asked, and the rest of them scoffed a bit at his ignorance._

 _"And this is why you should quit skipping school to go to that pie shop across town," Skylar grumbled, though that story had no real fact behind it and was merely a joke, "Adjectives are used when describing words. Like fat, ugly, or stupid."_

 _"I like that one, use stupid," Stefanie remarked as she nudged Seth, who took offense to it but said nothing to defend himself. Skylar huffed a laugh and jotted it down, leaning the book against her foot which was up on the table._

 _"Plural Noun," Skylar stated quietly, the library where study hall was held remaining quite quiet otherwise._

 _"Apples," Seth grinned as he doodled on his notebook, while Stefanie chucked another gummy bear at Sydney only a few yards away, hitting her on the back of the head._

 _"Dude, you're in deep," Skylar murmured with a smirk as she shook her head and wrote it in anyway. He made it so obvious sometimes that he had a liking for Skylar's best friend, sometimes it even bothered her, "Verb."_

 _"Screwing," Stefanie sneered, as she played with a gummy in her fingers, glancing over at her target again._

 _"If you're just going to throw those, Stef, can I have one?" Skylar asked, and Stefanie shrugged. She grabbed a handful of ammo and pushed the rest across the desk._

 _"Thanks," Skylar offered some to Riley, who nervously shook her head and put her nose into her book. Skylar spat out her gum on a piece of trash and grabbed a few of the candies, shoving them in her mouth._

 _Stefanie turned around and chucked another gummy, hitting Sydney once more. The girl at the other table paused before turning around to look at her aggressor, who was playing innocent and looking away. She eyed the bag of familiar treats in Skylar's hand as she put it back down on the table and chewed, picking up the book again. Skylar glanced up, noticing the attention she was getting from the short-haired girl._

 _"What are you looking at?" Skylar asked loudly, shaking her head and displaying her palms like she wasn't hiding anything. "Getting kind of sour sitting there all by yourself?"_

 _Sydney frowned and turned around slowly in her chair, looking at her foe with a deep set glare, "Why don't you tell your friends just how great of a person you are to be around? You know, how you're always messing things up?"_

 _Skylar glowered and kicked her foot down off the table, leaning forward and returning the glare as she spoke, "What was that?" The others at her table exchanged glances but tried to keep their heads down._

 _"Quiet down," The librarian told them as she looked up from her work, noticing the commotion that was stirring, "Get back to work."_

 _"Come on Berkeley, relax." Seth told her as he ducked his head, glancing back to see Sydney turning around and scoffing at the whole lot of them._

 _Skylar Berkeley was not someone to be messed with. She had a bad temper, and everyone knew it. She hardly waited a couple of seconds before she scooted her chair back across the carpet and stood up, going over to the source of the confrontation. She put her hands on her hips and chewed on her cheek a bit, waiting for Sydney to turn around or go on, but she didn't. By now most of the library was looking over, and they knew what would come next._

 _"What'd you just say to me, Gates?" Skylar asked, though it didn't sound much like a question, more like a challenge. Sydney just shook her head and stifled a laugh, ignoring her._

 _"Sit down." The librarian told her, but it was as if she was silent and went completely unheard._

 _"What the fuck, did you just say to me?!" Her temper flared and Sydney finally realized just how angry she had made her. Not that she cared, she liked to stir up trouble._

 _Before anyone knew what happened, Skylar grabbed Sydney and yanked her out of her chair, throwing her to her feet. With a wild swing she punched her antagonist across the jaw, sending her stumbling backwards in shock. Skylar did not stop though, she went forward again and hit her the same, getting everyone to their feet. The librarian raced across the room to try and stop it, but once again Skylar smashed her fist against the still dumbfounded expression of her foe._

 _"That's enough!" The librarian called as she grabbed Sydney and pulled her away, but Skylar went after her again. Seth and Stefanie, who'd risen with Skylar, wrapped her in their arms and forcibly held her thrashing form back._

 _"Skylar!" Riley's voice rang out, and it nearly sounded like she was in tears._

 _Skylar looked over at the poor girl, who had her eyes closed up tight and was clutching her bag in fear. Skylar's eyes softened at the familiar face, the meek and timid girl shouting was something of a wake up call. Riley was one of her oldest friends, and she wouldn't risk that for someone like Sydney. Skylar scoffed a bit and shoved her hands in her pockets, looking away._

 _Of course, she would have to explain her actions, and face consequences._

 _Skylar read the name tag that adorned the desk in her Principal's office, barely listening to what the woman was saying to her. She growled and leaned back in the chair, looking right up at the face of discipline in the school. Now, usually Vice Principal Lina Percy might deal with misbehavior, but Celeste herself took a special interest in this case._

 _"Yeah, I busted her up," Skylar told Principal Celeste Hartford, shrugging about it, "She deserved it."_

 _"What did she say to you?" Celeste asked, but Skylar was silent again, drumming her fingers on the armrest of her chair like it didn't actually bother her, "Is there anything you want to talk about?"_

 _"Hmm," Skylar pretended to be thinking about it, tapping her chin with a finger, "The forces of Karma?"_

 _"What about the forces of Karma?" The principal inquired, tilting her head as if something profound might actually come out of the violent young lady's words._

 _"Do you think it would be fun going around handing out punishment to assholes?" Skylar wondered, but it sounded more like she was trying to push buttons rather than discuss something real._

 _Principal Celeste Hartford sighed audibly and chose her words carefully, "You know, I thought you were settling in better now. It's been a long time since I've seen you in my office, this is a big step backwards."_

 _"Blah, blah blah, blah blah. Listen, I'm sure you've got plenty to do around here: organize dances or fund-raisers or turn blind eyes to verbal assaults on other students. So, can I just get my detention slip now?" Skylar asked, raising her eyebrows with a dull expression._

 _"Ms. Berkeley, you should know that we have a zero-tolerance policy about fighting. I'm afraid that I have to call your parents, and give you a three day suspension." Celeste picked up the phone with one hand and gestured the severity of the words to Skylar, whose eyes widened. "Who should I call to pick you up?"_

"I want to go home." Haley groaned as she put her head into her hands. The rest of them had gathered around Anna's bed, where the drama queen played her performance out. Anna herself had just walked in from putting the horse back into the stable, and Skylar's fingers eagerly fondled the camera as if she wanted to replay it over again. "Those boys saw me, doing something so entirely uncivilized. What if they send those pictures to everyone at school? My steadily-rising social status will plummet into nothing!"

"Oh relax, quit whining about it already." Skylar rolled her eyes from her place standing by the door.

"I am not whining, I am complaining!" Haley defended herself, giving Skylar an aggravated stare before putting her hands over her eyes again.

"Whatever," Skylar licked her lips as she looked over to Anna and approached her steadily, walking around the farm girl and speaking her name, "Now, Anna. Who's next?"

Anna looked up to the group, and found one name that seemed suitable, "Riley."

"Hmm." Skylar smirked and nodded, looking around at the rest of the room, "All right, you heard the lady. Pick someone to dare you."

"Oh, um," Riley nervously stuttered out, her eyes shifting from girl to girl until she found someone whose good nature was sure to lead to something more fun than embarrassing, "Penny, I guess, I mean if that's okay."

"Drum roll please," Skylar began to rapidly move her balled up fists, rolling her tongue to imitate the sound of fast drumming.

"Okay, okay! Give me a minute here," Penny chirped, bouncing around as she tried to think of something that could top what Haley had just done. A devilish smile graced her normally beaming face, and she turned back around to face Riley, "Okay, I got it."

"Be nice, please!" Riley squeaked as she bit her lip and hid behind her hair.

Penny breathed in slowly to build anticipation, then suddenly let it out, "I triple dog dare you to stay in Anna's brother's closet until midnight!" But she was not finished, she turned around to her bag and began to riffle through it, "Wearing," She pulled the article out of her bag, a familiar blue and yellow number that was standard uniform for all the High Pointe High cheerleaders, of which Penny was the captain, "This."

Riley's eyes grew wide and blush appeared all across her face. Without warning, she ran out into the hallway and slammed the door behind her, "Riley! Where are you going?" Came from the other side of the door, Skylar's voice..

"Bathroom!" Riley squealed in terror as she pressed her back against the door and held it shut with her hand. She breathed out quick little huffs and whispered under her breath, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

 _KNOCK, KNOCK KNOCK_

Anna and Skylar waited outside the room somewhat impatiently until the door opened. With a friendly and innocent grin, Applejack greeted her brother just as warmly as ever.

"Hey'a Mark, we got some snacks down stairs if y'wanna grab a couple, coast's clear while the girls are doin' their nails and whatnot in my room," Anna told him convincingly, her honest nature betrayed by a sinister plot.

"Well that's mighty fine'a you to offer, I invited Spike over just so y'know, mind if I let him have some'a that grub?" He asked politely, and Anna and Skylar exchanged pleased glances.

"Not at all, feel more than free to it." Anna nodded pleasantly and turned around, waving to the large boy over her shoulder as she tugged Skylar back to her bedroom.

"Think he bought it?" Skylar murmured to Anna as they reached her bedroom door, waiting as he left his room and started down the stairs to turn their attention over to the bathroom where Riley still hid.

"I don't see why not." Anna assured her as their eyes met, and they simultaneously turned and approached the bathroom door.

"Riley!" Skylar pounded incessantly on the door as Anna gestured for the other girls to keep quiet and come out. "Riley, come on, if you want to do it, you have to do it now!"

"I don't want to do it!" Her quiet voice breached the door, and though the others felt sorry for her, that was the game.

"Come on Riley, it won't be that bad, not nearly as bad as shaving your head." Skylar tried to convince her, but groaned loudly when no response came.

"Oh sugar, you know he ain't gonna bite you or nothin' if he finds you. But I'm sure if you keep real quiet, you can hide there all night before he knows you're there." Anna told her sweetly as Skylar peeked down the stairs to be sure her brother was not there. "I'm'ma pass the uniform through, okay? At least put it on, will you?"

"O-Okay," She simply agreed as her hand came out of the door, grasping at the cheerleading uniform as it was passed to her. The door closed again and Skylar sighed.

"You know you're getting off easy with this dare, Riley." The rainbow-haired girl told her with a matter-of-factly tone, adjusting the black gloves over her fingers, "It could have been a lot worse."

"I-I know." Riley nervously replied as sounds of shuffling were heard past the door.

"Move it, will ya? He could be back any minute here, you're either a glutton for punishment or a dare devil, cutting things to the last minute like this." Skylar warned her, grinning as she knew that would get the meek girl moving.

"Um, right." Riley turned the door knob suddenly and peeked her head out, hiding her body from her friends. They were never much to judge, but it was clear the uniform was a little big around her, seeing as how it belonged to the kinda-pudgy Penny. The rest of the girls led her out of the room and hurried into Mark's, following Anna to his closet and letting her pry it open, kicking some dirtied clothes around. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, it'll all be just fine." Anna consoled her as she let her step over the mess to the bed.

"Okay Riley, listen close," Skylar told her as she knelt beside the bed, "You have to send us a photo every fifteen minutes to prove that you're still in there, you have my number still, right?"

"Y-Yes," The timid girl moved her foot around a half-folded shirt, letting her bangs fall over her eyes as she ducked into the shadows.

"I think I hear him coming," Tara whispered from outside his room, standing guard.

"All right, we'll be back for you in just over an hour. Play nice." Skylar grinned and winked, implying something that Riley did not want to imagine.

Riley sunk down to the bottom of the closet as she heard the rest of the girls leave, feeling so utterly alone and terrified. Voices drifted up the stairs that were vaguely familiar, and finally they came into eavesdropping distance.

"I can't believe the girls didn't even touch all those snacks!" It sounded like Spike's voice, and Riley peered through the slots of the blinds to see him, hoping the slivers of light could not illuminate her.

"Ee-yup," Mark's voice came next, and he closed the door behind them with his foot.

"I thought with Loverly around anything sugary would be gone from the entire house," Spike went on as he went over to Mark's television, turning it on as he sorted through all kinds of video games and movies that were piled up around it. "What do you want to play?"

"Dunno, anythin' I s'pose." Mark said as he sat down on his bed, placing a bowl of chips on his bedside table and a plate of pizza beside him. He pulled a two-liter of pop out from under his arm and placed it beside the chips, not even bothering to open it before taking a bite of the pizza.

"Oh, cool! I love zombie games, and you have like every one ever made!" Spike mused as he grabbed an armful of games, as though he could shove them all into the console at once.

"I reckon I ain't got every one." Mark bashfully replied as he finished chewing, reaching over to grab the pop to wash it down.

"Where are your controllers?" Spike asked as he looked around the television on Mark's dresser, but the larger man stood up suddenly.

"In my closet, here, I'll go grab 'em." He told the younger boy as he approached the closet, terrifying Riley into the farthest corner. She hurriedly grabbed one of his jackets and held it up over her face, camouflaging herself with the piles of clothes back there. The door creaked open as Big Mac rifled through his belongings, finally finding what he was after, "Ah, here w'go."

Riley waited several seconds after the door was closed before letting the jacket fall off of her, her eyes wide as saucers behind it. She nervously fumbled around in her bag for her phone, finding it in a little pocket. She pulled it out and pointed it away from herself so that the camera was facing her, and took a picture. She brought it close to her face and let the light illuminate her as her fingers found the button she needed. _Send._

The phone vibrated in Skylar's pocket, and she leaned over on the bed close to Anna so that she could extend her leg far enough that her tight pants would allow her to reach into her pocket. She pulled out the thing and held it in front of her, a smile creeping across her face as she recognized the face of her good friend even in the poor lighting.

"Hah, sweet, she's actually doing it." Skylar snickered obnoxiously as she turned her phone around and showed the picture to everyone around.

"Of course she did Lasky, you would have shaved her head if she didn't." Haley huffed a bit and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defiantly. Skylar just frowned.

"That's the game, Hale." Skylar explained as she kicked her feet back and forth, "Quit being such a sour puss about it, Jeez."

"You have no boundaries." Haley murmured as she shook her head, letting the subject fall.

"Now, on to the good stuff." Skylar's eyes flickered back up to the farmer girl who sat beside her, "Jones, who, may I ask, is next?"

This time, Anna was prepared. She had thought a little bit about the order by now, and her gaze shifted to the girl in question, "Penny."

"Oh, yay! It's finally my turn!" She cheered happily as she clapped and jumped, grinning as she looked around at her options, "Okay, I want...I want...Tara! You dare me, and dare me good!"

"Me?" Tara blinked, unprepared for once. She furrowed her brow and thought a bit about it, trying to match her friends on the level that their dares were. Finally, something of an idea dawned on her, and she looked over at her pink-haired friend, moving a little closer. "All right. There's a stand-up comedy show that goes on in the middle of High Pointe Gardens every Friday night just before midnight. I went there with my brother a few times when I was younger." She began explaining, and the girls exchanged glances just thinking where this was going. Tara cleared her throat and put her hand to her lips, beginning in a regular voice but dropping to a whisper as she spoke into Penny's ear, "I Triple-Dog-dare you, to..."

Penny Loverly's usual beaming smile persisted for a while as Tara spoke, but the longer she spoke in a hush the more devastated Penny's expression became. Her eyes widened with every word and she brought her hands to her lips to hold in a gasp. She swallowed nervously, something no one was sure the outrageous and dynamic Penny was capable of.

"I have to do _WHAT?!_ " She screamed out loud as her voice broke at the top of her vocal range, causing the rest of the girls to cringe and cover their ears. Even Riley heard something from her place in the closet, but said nothing as she waited for another several moments to pass before she could send another picture.

"I think you heard me correctly." Tara smiled a bit as she got the reaction she had hoped for, and the rest of the girls looked around in wonder.

Riley heard the car start moments later, but being silenced by her confines she said nothing. Instead, she texted Skylar and asked where they were going. The only reply she got was:

 _Skye: High Pointe Gardens. It's gonna be awesome. Watch it on tape later._


	4. Chapter Three

_**A/N: Okay, so I have decided to continue this story. Look out for updates to**_ **I Will Try to Fix You _and then we'll see what the poll results say._**

 ** _Yes, I realize Skylar is the kind of person that, if I ever met in real life, I would punch in the face, but I wrote her this way on purpose. You'll see why in future updates to the first story._**

 **Chapter Three**

 **The Eccentric One Goes Nuts & The Shy One Gets Surprised**

The girls pulled up to Centennial Park, where High Pointe Gardens was located, and one by one they climbed out of Haley's SUV. Skylar booted the door open and emerged, followed by Anna who held the door open for the last girl who sat in the back. Skylar turned around with a confident smirk, the camera clutched in her hand.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Skylar asked with a hint of condescension, raising an eyebrow as the pink-haired girl jumped out of the vehicle with a determined look on her face.

"Abso-fucking-lutely!" She squealed with anticipation, surprising the girls with the curse. Anna closed the door behind them as they approached the scene.

High Pointe Gardens was lit up from railing to rooftop around them, lights that adorned the buildings all year hanging around them and the usual concrete stage just past the fountain and slowly sloping stairs. The girls crept along around the gathered crowd and approached the stage, which read " _Amateur Night_ " along the banner, coming up to the back of a girl with a clipboard. Her loose, brown jumpsuit said "Staff" on the back, so they thought it must have been their best bet. Hearing their numerous footsteps as they came up behind her, the girl in front of them turned and looked at the group. Her expression shifted from shock to fear to anger, and Skylar was just thrilled.

"Hey there, Gates. My, my, you're looking hot tonight," Skylar cat-cauled sarcastically as she smirked triumphantly, holding up her phone and snapping a picture of the girl in her less-than-flattering outfit. Sydney rolled her eyes and bit back her initial venom for something more work appropriate; barely.

"Berkeley, what the hell are you doing here?" She whispered as she held the clipboard to her chest, some kind of list as it was.

"I'm sorry, did you want to make a scene?" Skylar looked around at the crowds of people and raised an eyebrow, silencing Sydney's protests. Skylar turned her phone around and displayed the image to the embarrassed girl, "Now, put Penny's name next on the list, or this goes on the Net."

Sydney looked rather surprised by the negotiation, and suddenly she realized why they asked such a thing of her, "Wait, wait, is this one of—"

"Just do it already," Skylar cut her off effectively, her fingers hovering over the send button menacingly.

Sydney Gates was resistant, but with a long, drawn-out sigh and a shake of her head, she began scribbling the name, "Fine." She turned the pen around in her hand and clicked it closed against the clipboard, glaring up at the group while she backed up and approached the stage.

The previous act finished up quickly, and the host went up to the microphone to announce the next performance, "Now, who's our next performer of the evening?" Sydney reluctantly held the clipboard up so that he could see, and he nodded as he read the name, "Ah, ladies and gentleman, please give a round of applause for Penny Loverly!"

Said girl hurried up the few steps onto the stage, waving and cheering and bouncing around until she got the the microphone. She cleared her throat a few times and plucked the corded thing off the stand, getting accustomed to the weight in her hands. High Pointe Gardens often held "Amateur Nights," for singers, comedians, dances, any talent one might have to share.

"All right, all right, pleasure to be with you all on this fine High Pointe evening!" Penny began as she strolled down the stage, looking into the faces of the audience and fiddling with the object she had hidden beneath her sweater. "So, me, being the most super-ific and unconventional gal around, I have this little buddy of mine, he's a toothless alligator, right?" The crowd began to chuckle and while it looked like Penny might go on, she stopped and looked out at the smiling faces, her own expression darkening, "What's so funny? That's not the joke."

"Come on, get a good shot," Skylar ushered Tara into the crowd closer to Penny, to get a better angle on her performance.

"That's not funny, what are you laughing at?" She questioned, but the rest of the crowd began to laugh more and more as she grew upset, falling into giggles and snickers and the like. Pinkie Pie cocked her head suddenly and bore her teeth, licking her lip with a sarcastic or aggravated grin, "What is so damn funny? Is it, is me?" The laughter picked up as she pointed to herself and her eye twitched a bit, "Oh, I'm so funny, right? Ha, ha, this crazy chick is great, right? Hi-fucking-larious! Well, you want to know what I think is funny?"

Penny strolled along the stage speaking in this odd and aggressive manner, her eyes bulging and her body language tensing up and getting all defensive. The crowd's laughter was dashed as Penny pulled out the broken glass bottle she had concealed and hoisted it up, the sharp and curved glass glistening under the spotlight. Skylar and Anna exchanged dumbfounded glances, and Tara Sparks' jaw dropped. Penny flipped the bottle around and waved it wildly in front of her, causing the nearest row of onlookers to back up and cower.

"Can I get a volunteer to come on stage and help me with this next act?" Penny's voice cracked around as her eyes darted from face to face, "I may not be a magician, but maybe I can make a few body parts disappear!"

"She must have forgotten to take her meds this morning!" Skylar called loudly towards the stage, and noticed the stage manager rush on stage to try and contain the situation.

"Get back! Get back I say, I'll eviscerate the damn bile out of this bitch!" Penny screamed as she raced towards the man, bottle in hand. The man backed away and shouted for help to the nearest stage-hand he could see.

"Sydney, call the police, right now!" The stage manager called, keeping his eyes on the now guffawing girl in front of him, bottle trembling and waving about.

"Hell no!" Sydney Gates scoffed and shook her head angrily, crossing her arms over the clipboard and narrowing her eyes at the girl on stage, "There is no way, no freaking way!"

"Gates, what are you thinking?" The manager shouted in disbelief as he hurried off of the stage and grabbed his cell phone, dialing the number and pressing it to his ear.

"She's faking it! It's just a game, a stupid, stupid game!" Sydney tried to tell him, chasing after him as he tried to get to a quiet enough area to speak. The crowd gasped out loud as Penny ripped open her shirt, revealing her flat stomach and bright pink bra. Sydney groaned loudly and flailed her arms a bit, feeling utterly invisible.

"Hello, police! I have a girl here, she's, she's having some kind of mental break!" The manager tried to tell them, but the screaming in the audience and Penny's own laughter mostly drowned him out.

"Fuck, fuck—tits, ass, cunt mother of—" Penny began swearing profusely in her half-naked state, twitching and slinging the bottle in every direction she could think of.

"She also has Tourette's!" Skylar could hardly scream through her brimming laughter, and the manager returned to the scene clutching the cell phone in his hand as if whoever was on the other end could hear a word.

"The police are on their way, everyone, please stay back!" He called in a shaking voice, but the frantic crowd has already begun fleeing the scene and shrieking all kinds of horrors.

Penny's maniacal laughter began to lighten up, and he stopped slicing the bottle through the air to instead clap her hands and jump up and down. She placed the bottle on the ground, giggling and squealing instead with excitement rather than malice, "Hehehe, you should have seen the looks on your faces!"

The crowd watched in shock as she returned to the lovable and light-hearted Penny she was more suited for, and the manager himself gawked before speaking up, "Are, are you okay?"

"Of course silly," Penny waved her hand as though anything else would be just ridiculous. She pulled her shirt together over herself again and fixed together the one or two buttons that still remained. She leaned forwards and took a bow, and another, extending her arms and flipping her hair like she anticipated some praise, "Thank you, thank you, you have been a lovely audience!"

The few remaining audience members were either too shocked to move, or tried to ease the situation with scarce and spaced claps. It was rather quiet now as Penny took what little praise she could get. Horrified and confused faces began to emerge and Penny Loverly hurriedly skipped off stage towards her regrouping friends.

"Okay, I think it's time to get gone." Skylar shook her head in amusement as the rest of them began to race away from the scene. Skylar took off into a sprint as she passed Sydney, who she shoved rudely and waved to, "See you, Gates."

Sydney Gates shook her head and scowled, utterly infuriated by her actions. As Anna passed her, Sydney stopped her and spoke, "Hey, Anna?" She called her name, and the freckled farmer paused to listen to what she had to say, though her expression was angry and contorted and her words were toxic and furious, "You ask your friend about what happened to Glenda yet? You should, you know. You really should."

Anna stared at the short-haired girl, her eyes narrowing as she tried to figure out just what she could possibly have to ask. Anna bit her cheek a bit but followed after her friends, leaving Sydney there to pick up the pieces of their endeavor. The stage manager ran up to her as he watched the group run off, digging his fingers into his hair in mortification. Sydney frowned as she looked over at him and shook her head.

"I told you they were faking it." She said in an obnoxious voice, walking past him and hitting him with her shoulder as she crossed Penny Loverly's name off the list.

The group of five girls ran back to the vehicle, gathering together a mere few yards away as their laughter began to fade. Penny was laughing the hardest, her good spirit overcoming any potential embarrassment. Haley was the only one who was not in the mood, and shook her head in disappointment as she unlocked the doors to her parent's vehicle and stood beside it.

"That was so much fun!" Penny squealed as the rest of them gathered around.

"No it was not, this is a horrible game, that was a horrible idea." Haley protested as she let her fingers flow through her hair, annoyed at how such a relaxing night had become something so rambunctious, "Why are we even out here?"

"You kidding? That was great!" Skylar argued with laughter, leaning against Haley's car as she got another new picture of Riley's condition, "And did you see Gates' face? Hilarious!"

Anna hesitated for a moment, but took the chance to ask something a little more personal about her best friend, "What's with the two'a you, any who?"

Skylar bit her lip a bit at the uncomfortable subject, but shook it off and acted just as confident and proud as ever, "She... she just envies my natural charming charisma. Who can blame her?" Anna chuckled a bit, finding the statement somewhat true.

"Whose bottle was that, anyway?" Tara asked, and Penny shrugged mysteriously.

"You guys, it's just about midnight." Tara said, though confused by Penny, as she checked her watch, gesturing to the vehicle, "We should go back and pick up Riley."

"I have a better idea." Skylar spoke as she raised an eyebrow and clicked a few buttons on her phone, bringing it up to her ear as it began to ring.

"What are you doing?" Haley asked as her expression became serious, knowing just how limitless Skylar's pranks could get.

Riley squeaked out loud and jumped as her ringtone went off, and she shoved the rabbit back into her bag as she searched for the source of the now blaring tune. Her breath was quick and nervous as her fingers trembled through the fabric, seeing small glimmers of light beneath the objects contained within.

"Spike, that yer phone?" Mark's voice came through the cracks in the closet, and Riley hurried to find the object, finally feeling her fingers slide over the smooth metal.

"No, is it yours?" Spike replied, as Mark stood up and looked around, wondering where it might have been coming from. "You think the girls left their phones here?"

"En-nope, sounds like it's in this here room," Mark heard it get clearer as Riley retrieved it and hurriedly answered.

"Skye! W-What are you—" Riley began to squeal, but the closet door was pulled open right in front of her. She blinked her wide eyes as her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw Mark's large body blocking her exit.

"Hey Mark, there's a girl in your closet!" Spike said obviously as he hurried up behind the older, taller man, still holding the game controller in his hand.

"What... What're you doin' in here?" Mark simply asked, though his expression was clearly surprise and confusion.

"Riley, is that you? Why are you in Mark's closet?" Spike wondered as he pulled open the closet door a bit more to get a better look. Riley just dropped the phone and it flipped closed on the ground, ending the call.

Mark didn't really know what to make of the whole scenario, but he bent down and reached in to take her hand as kindly and carefully as he could, "C'mon now little lady, let's get'chu outta there."

"N-No, I can't, I—" Riley squirmed away, but Mark persisted. Instead of using her words, Riley grabbed his hand and bit it—hard. He shouted as he pulled away and nearly fell over backwards.

"Youch! Y'bit me!" Mark looked back at her in surprise and then down at his hand, where her little teeth prints became visible on his tanned skin.

"Okay Riley, relax, we're just trying to—" Spike tried to reason with her as he held his hands up defensively and approached her.

"D-Don't come near me, I-I'll bite you too!" Riley pointed at Spike menacingly, getting to her feet and holding her bag against her chest. She stared intently at the two shocked boys, but did not go on to explain right away.

"Al'right. What exactly is goin' on?" Mark decided to be direct about it, standing up straight as he towered over the younger, meek girl, "Y'hide in my closet, and now y'wanna bite ev'ryone?"

"Well, I, I," Riley's eyes shifted around the room, hoping to avoid the confrontation. Her face fell a bit as she revealed herself to the boys, "It's a dare, okay? I can't leave, they'll sh-shave my head if I do."

"That sounds kind of extreme." Spike scratched his head as he tried to figure out what would compel a group of girls to engage in something like that.

"Look, I'm not leaving, okay? Not until midnight." Riley told them defiantly as she shuffled uneasily in the doorway. Mark perked up as he heard that though.

"Midnight?" He asked curiously, looking over to his bed to see his alarm clock, "Well then yer just 'bout in the clear, y'want some snacks or somethin?"

"Oh, um, that's nice of you to offer, Mark," Riley kicked at the floor and avoided his gaze, but he just chuckled a bit as he went over to his bed and grabbed a bowl of chips.

"Well I figured I ought'a offer, seein' as how yer my guest an' all." Mark smiled as he brought the bowl over to her and let her take it from his hands. She blushed shyly and sat down onto the ground to eat.

Riley noticed the position of her phone all closed-up on the ground, and remembered what it had been that gave her away. She picked up the phone and opened it, seeing the recent call list with Skylar's name right at the top. Riley frowned as she held her phone out in front of her and slowly raised her middle finger in front of it, clicking the picture and pressing send before she gave it a second thought. Of course, immediately afterwards she felt nervous and anxious, thinking she might have been a little too mean to her best friend..

 _Skye: Haha, you managed to stay in his closet? You're awesome, Ri'!_

Haley pulled up to by the curb of wherever it was that Skylar had asked them to stop by on the way to Anna's house. It wasn't much out of the way, and it fit what Skylar had been thinking of planning for later, though she uttered not a word of it. The group got out of the vehicle and started up towards the house, where several familiar faces hung around an open garage. The three of them weren't exactly friends, but they played a few sports together over the years.

Stefanie and Seth were always together, so it was no surprise that she was at his house now. Stefanie and another girl, Lillian, were too preoccupied playing a game of foosball to even notice that the other girls had arrived, and Seth was rolled on a car mechanic gurney underneath his old beater. Skylar kicked at his foot as the rest of the girls stood around him, and he peeked to the side to see their feet from under the car.

"What's going on, McIntyre?" Skylar asked nonchalantly, waiting for him to roll out.

"Oh, hi guys." He pushed off the underside of the car and rolled out, sitting upright as he came into view. His eyes immediately went to Anna, and a wide smile appeared, "Uh, Anna, hey, how are you?"

"Dandy." She replied simply, more interested in the car than the boy under it, it seemed.

"Ahem—obvious." Skylar muttered under a fake cough, causing Seth to reluctantly look away to hide his embarrassment, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Seth asked as he gestured to the car behind him.

"I meant later tonight, you dipshit." Skylar snickered as she shook her head. Her eyes crept over to her best friend as she spoke of her, "It's Anna's birthday you know."

"Is it?" Seth perked up to hear it and found a reason to address Anna again, "Well happy birthday, Anna. You guys going to Olivia's party?"

"We weren't invited." Skylar scoffed as she shoved her hands in her pockets, shrugging like it didn't bother her in the least.

"I was." Haley interceded, but no one said anything about that.

"Us either. We're going to crash it anyway." Seth told them as he licked his lips and let his eyes quickly fondle Anna while she subtly peered under the hood, "We were thinking a bit after midnight, you should come, it'll be a good time."

"Well, we have to finish up our game before we think about that." Skylar spoke teasingly-vaguely, but Seth laid back down on the gurney before replying, rolling back under the car a bit.

"Mind handing me that wrench?" He asked to no one in particular, but Skylar just glared down at him as if she was expecting a different question. Anna bent down to the toolbox, though.

"Open-ended or socket?" She asked simply, and everyone but Skylar and Seth looked at her weirdly, most of them having no idea what she said. Seth grinned as he heard those words and responded promptly.

"Open." He told her as he reached out and gratefully accepted the tool, touching her fingers a bit as he took it from her. Skylar twitched as she saw it, some form of jealousy flaring up as Anna's attention was elsewhere, "Thanks. So, a game? What game?"

Skylar was glad he got back on topic, and flipped her hair a bit as she informed him, "Triple-Dog."

"Triple-Dog, huh?" He paused in his maintenance and chewed over his words, "Well, you girls should be careful." He looked at Skylar first, then the rest.

"I'm sorry, what?" Skylar leaned back to full height as Anna stood up beside her. She made an amused face and told him off, "Did you tell me to be careful? Come on McIntyre, don't be such a pussy."

"My bad." Was his only reply, as he got back to working.

Skylar sneered and made an irritable noise, turning around over-zealously and obnoxiously before calling back a goodbye, "Later, maybe."

"Why, exactly, did we stop here again?" Haley asked in an annoyed tone, glancing over at the rainbow-haired rebel.

"You didn't hear that? A party. Sounds like fun to me," Skylar grinned as she yanked the door of Haley's SUV open and hopped inside, climbing into the back seat. Tara tried to climb in after her, but Skylar gestured for her to get into the second row of back seats instead, "I say we crash it after the game."

"That sounds great!" Penny squealed as she got into the front seat, nearly bouncing up and down and shaking the vehicle.

Anna climbed in beside Skylar and the two left a space between them, sitting at the windows. Skylar peered over at her best friend, a subject just brimming on the tip of her tongue. She said nothing though, noticing the somewhat concerned or worried expression that settled onto her face. Haley started the car and pulled out, heading back towards the farm house.

Skylar rolled down her window and looked outside, feeling the wind whipping through her hair and blowing it around. Unlike Haley, she loved the feeling of her hair getting messed up. Anna still sat there in silence, and it bothered Skylar. She was about to speak up and ask what was wrong, when Anna herself decided to talk.

"Think Mark'll be mad at me about hidin' Riley in his closet like that?" She asked no one or everyone, but the only person to reply was Skylar Lasky.

"He's a big boy, I'm sure he can handle a little joke." She told her best friend, who nodded a few times but still had that gloomy look on her face. Skylar smirked as she got an idea and unbuckled her seat belt, crawling over the seats towards the freckled girl. Anna leaned back in surprise but watched as Skylar pressed down on the automatic window button, rolling it down in front of her, "Hey, A.J.? You smell that?"

Their eyes met in the dim lighting, their faces so near that a bump on the road or sudden stop could have forced them together. Finally Skylar pulled back and put her hands on her own window sill, ducking under the roof as she climbed out a ways and let her torso emerge into the evening air. Anna just stared at her for a moment, but unbuckled her own seat belt and followed her lead, leaning out her own window. She breathed in the cool air and closed her eyes for a moment, letting the familiar scent fill her to the core. Anna smiled and described it to the wind, though Skylar could hear her well anyway.

"Yeah, barbecue, if Ah ain't mistaken." Anna said loudly over the sound of the roaring winds, and Skylar grinned widely to hear it. They both took one last breath before climbing back inside.

"Exactly. Smells good, right?" Skylar, but didn't wait for a response. She scooted a little closer to Anna and tilted her head towards her, "One day when you're like a ninety years old, still living on that old farm I bet, your big ole family will be out there for a reunion, and you'll smell that sweet, sweet scent. And you'll think of me."

A smile melted across Anna's features as her eyes gazed admiringly at her best friend, "I s'pose so." The two remained quiet for a moment as the topic settled, and Skylar decided it would be best to get back on to the game.

"So, who's next, Jones?" She asked pryingly, her teeth showing in her devious grin.

Anna's eyes never wavered from the face of her best friend, and she decided upon the next in line at that moment, "How about you, Berkeley?"

"Read my mind, baby." Skylar nudged her teasingly and called her something rather informal and intimate, which like anything else came off her lips sarcastically.

"Oh come off it, you always act just so tough and fearless." Haley spat as she peered at them in the rear-view mirror, shaking her head, "I bet dares scare you just like anyone else."

"You think so?" Skylar leaned forwards antagonistically and glared at the diva driving, "All right, well then, how about you dare me, Steele?"

"I'm so glad you asked." Haley tipped her nose up in pride and knew exactly what would throw Skylar off that high-horse.

"Hey girls, it's midnight!" Tara called from the back, "You think we should call Riley and tell her where we are?"

"Yes. Tell her to ask Mark for a ride." Haley told her as she began to turn the steering wheel all the way around, pulling an illegal U-turn in the middle of the empty street. The rest of the girls held on tightly as she did, and Haley's eyes hit the rear-view mirror once again, locking her glare onto Skylar, "Tell her to meet us at the liquor store off thirty-sixth."


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

 **Part One**

 **The Rainbow One Gets Dared & The Bookworm Shows a Full Moon**

Skylar groaned loudly as she leaned her head back and looked up at the street lights above. Her elbows were bent behind her and resting on the hood of Haley's SUV, which had become cool as time drifted on since last they drove. Anna chuckled lightly at her friend's impatience, moving a step or two closer and crossing her heels in those charming old cowboy boots. She looked Skylar up and down while the girl's attention was elsewhere, but was surprised to hear her speak up and address her directly.

"So talk to me about something, Anna." Skylar asked, still looking right above instead of into the face of the curious girl beside her, "Seth."

"What about Seth?" Anna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she wondered what Skylar was implying by bringing him up.

"You into him?" The multi-colored-headed girl asked, rolling her neck absently as she found the honest eyes of her freckled friend.

"What kinda question is that?" Anna inquired with an incredulous expression. She found the notion rather ridiculous in fact, but tried to put it politely, "I mean I hardly know the fella."

"Not yet." Skylar smiled a bit as her eyes ran up and down Anna's body, insinuating something sexual probably.

"I dunno, Skye. I ain't never thought about it." Anna replied honestly, not bothered by her best friend's usual teasing. Skylar was not finished pushing the subject though, and she moved a few inches closer across the hood.

"You thinking about it now?" Skylar asked quietly, her hushed voice brushing against Anna's ear temptingly. No, she was most definitely not thinking about any man right then. Anna chewed at her lip to avoid speaking what was really on her mind, what really had her undivided attention, and instead responded with a question.

"You want me thinkin' about it?" Anna teased back, tilting her head and raising one eyebrow.

"No, no, it's just," Skylar groaned a bit and pushed her elbows off the hood of the vehicle, crossing them in front of her instead. She didn't really want Anna thinking about it, but she knew it was probably what was best, and the fastest way to make her unavailable for anyone else who may have been interested. She tried to phrase it as best she could, "I like you, A.J., you're my best friend. I just think it's maybe time you got a boyfriend or something."

"Or somethin'?" Anna caught the last couple of words and noticed something inconsistent about them.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Skylar's temper flared up a bit, though it never bothered Anna too much. Skylar turned her head away and pouted, "Jeez, here I am just trying to be all helpful and shit, be all supportive or whatever, and you're totally not being cool about it."

Anna waited a good few seconds before she said anything, and when she did, it was with a playful smile and a nudge, "Did I hurt your feelin's? Y'mad at me?"

"Maybe." Skylar replied simply, without moving.

"Aww," Anna mused with a fake puppy-dog look, nestling in close and gently pinching Skylar's side with more-than-curious fingers, "Y'all want me ta kiss it better?"

Skylar huffed a laugh at her best friend and shook her head, finally meeting her gaze again, "Shut up, A.J."

The rumbling old muffler was heard before that old work truck was seen, but Anna knew the roar all too well. She pushed off the vehicle, leaving her best friend still against the hood though Skylar's eyes followed her closely, and waved around the corner as her brother drove around. The truck pulled up right beside the SUV, just a little ways away from the entrance to the liquor store. Mark didn't bother turning the truck off as he let Riley climb out of the passenger's side. Spike was shoved in the back with some of Mark's tools, where there was hardly enough room for him.

"Uh, hey'a, Mark." Anna greeted him shyly, uncertain if he was angry with her or not. His expression was never very telling, but as he looked over at her she felt somewhat relieved.

"Howdy." He said simply, wrapping his arm around the back of the passenger's seat to get close enough to speak out the still open door over the sounds of the chuffing muffler. "Do I even wanna ask what y'all are doin' out here?" Mark was old enough to have bought them booze if that was what they were after, he was a few years their senior after all, but that was not their intention.

"Prolly not, Mark. I'll see y'later." Anna shook her head with a small, crooked smile.

"Ee-yup," He nodded slowly as he went to put the truck into reverse, but paused to look back out at Riley, "Now, y'have a good night, Miss Riley."

"Th-Thank you, Mark." Riley extended him a timid and gentle wave, and he returned it with a trademark Apple family smirk.

Spike leaned against the window and saw Haley standing by the SUV with a rather bored expression on her face, and a blush crept up onto his face as he wondered what anyone might have dared her to do. Mark put the truck into gear and began backing up, causing Spike to move around in the back to watch his object of affection draw farther and farther away.

Penny looked back at the truck then at Riley, not once but twice, before she shrieked out loud, "Did you hook up with him?!"

"Beg pardon?" Anna twitched as she heard such a thing, and whipped around to glare at Riley like she could dig the truth out with her eyes.

"N-no, no, I-I just, well, he," Riley stammered nervously as she held up her hands and trembled under the attention.

"Hah! Slut-up, Ri'!" Skylar guffawed and high-fived the girl, who flinched at the touch and couldn't even comprehend a response.

"Enough chatter girls," Haley spoke up as she turned to look at the liquor store. She knew it well enough to know exactly where her golden fleece was located in the store, "Skylar, you're up."

"Yeah, yeah, so all I have to do is get in and steal a thing of, uh, whiskey was it? Yeah, whiskey, and that's it?" Skylar smirked in pride, she already had an idea of how to do it. However, as she went to grab her skateboard from leaning against the car, she stopped, noticing someone patrolling the store in a blue uniform, "Woah, woah, woah, you never said that there'd be cops!"

"I thought you weren't afraid?" Haley grinned as she raised her eyebrow victoriously at Skylar's dumbfounded expression.

"Are you trying to get me arrested!?" Skylar whispered at the top of her voice, squeaking a bit with the force of her hush.

"Well, you could challenge me, I have no problem with it. I mean if you're too scared to do it just say the words, and I will." Haley told her quickly, gesturing at the store and herself with ease.

"Her dad owns the store, Skye." Tara remembered and revealed, though Haley shoved her a bit to tell her to hush up. Skylar just gawked at her obstacle, her expression blank and uncertain.

"Oh, and by the way?" Haley pointed towards the clerk and exposed a little detail that Skylar might need to know, "The Highland Park 30 Scotch's is right behind the counter, third shelf. Good luck."

Haley patted the stunned girl on the shoulder while the others looked around at each other nervously. Anna played with the camera she found in her hands and didn't really know what to say. She didn't want Skylar to have to shave her head, but neither did she want her to get arrested or something. Suddenly, the girl with the multi-colored hair turned to face the freckle-faced farmer, and took both of her hands in her own. She brought the camera up between them and pulled open the screen on the side that displayed the recorded image.

"Keep your eyes on me, as if you'll have trouble with that." Skylar winked with a grin as she let Anna's hands go, and looked back at her target. "All right, you know what? Fine. Let's do it." She stopped again though, and suddenly grabbed a shoulder bag off of Haley's front seat, leaving the door open for the rest of the girls to hide behind, "Give me that bag of yours though."

"It's Chanel!" Haley complained as Skylar adorned the ugly, pink travesty with a frown.

"Do you think I know what that means? It's pink and it's ugly, that's all I know." Skylar sighed as she adjusted the bag and grabbed her skateboard, "I will try not to puke in it, sound fair?"

"You're really going to do this?" Tara's uneasy voice peeped out, but Skylar was not deterred.

"Watch and be amazed." She said with a smirk, letting her skateboard smack the ground before she put one foot on it and pushed off, gliding easily towards the store. Anna zoomed in with the camera until she got a good crop of the scene, following as Skylar neared the entrance.

"If she gets arrested, my father's a lawyer. A good one." Tara whispered as they stacked behind the open door, peering through the open window. Anna elbowed Tara a lot lighter than she would have if it was anyone else, knowing how weak the egghead was.

"Shut your yap Tara, she'll be fine. Just fine." Anna nodded to try and assure herself, looking up from the little screen on the camera to the real Skylar Berkeley who went inside the store, still on her skateboard.

"Hey," Everyone froze as the officer looked over to Skylar, who slouched on her rolling skateboard and gave him something of an apathetic look, "You can't ride that thing in here."

"Oh, my apologies, sir." Skylar smiled innocently and stepped off, kicking the bottom so it jumped up high enough for her to snatch it in her hand. She walked back to the doorway and leaned it against the glass with ease, flashing a daring gaze out into the parking lot at her friends.

She turned on a dime and went back towards the aisles, moseying through them with false interest. The security officer watched her carefully as he strolled around himself, but the aisles were taller than she was so she easily slipped around his attention. She did not move too slowly in case that drew suspicions, but glanced up as someone else entered the store. It was a taller, slim man who approached the clerk and asked for some brand of cigarettes. That gave Skylar an idea.

As the sounds of ringing something in and the distance between Skylar and the other muffled the noise, she plucked a bottle of very high-percentage alcohol off the counter and cracked open the seal by twisting it with the bottom of her shirt. She knew it had to be at least 100 proof for this to work. Successfully stifling the sound, Skylar poured a bit slowly down the shelf, creating a long trail and leaving the half-empty bottle at one end tipped right over. The security cameras around her were unmonitored for the moment as the clerk was distracted, and Skylar took full advantage of it.

"What is she doing back there?" Tara asked as she tried to see what is was she was cooking up, but Rarity just laughed a bit.

"She's about to get busted." Haley smirked and Anna frowned at her insensitivity. Surely Haley would not let Skylar get in too deep of trouble about this, would she?

Skylar made sure that some of the spill led down to the ground below, dripping over cardboard and down. She grabbed a second high-proof bottle and tipped it just so delicately over the side of the shelf, knowing the slightest bump or motion would tip it over.

There were a few objects that peaked Skylar's interest, but she knew she would have to keep on target to get the job done right. She continued around the store and doubled back once or twice as though she was checking the prices, slipping her hand into her pocket and revealing a little metal instrument. Flicking it open and running her finger along the flint wheel, she held it deep into the shelf to hide the light as she sparked the little silver Zippo on. She began to walk back towards the counter, though neither the clerk nor the security guard could see where her hand was from behind the inventory. She placed the idea down and hustled her step a bit to reach the man.

"Excuse me, sir," She spoke up as she came up to him with a pleasant smile on her face, drowning out the slow burning sound with her own voice as the fire spread quickly towards the bottle. She leaned ever so slightly against the aisle she required and felt it shift a bit with her weight, and something was knocked loose, "I was wondering if you carried the—"

The back of the store caught everyone's attention with the loud crack as the bottle went up, and fire spread across the counter towards similarly flammable liquids. There was another loud smash as the second bottle landed on the floor, lighting up immediately after the first. Even the group at the SUV all flinched and suppressed shouts of panic or surprise.

"Holy shit!" The clerk reacted quickly, grabbing the fire extinguisher as Skylar covered her face in mock shock, staring at the quickly spreading fire. The security guard was entirely flabbergasted as he too turned towards the commotion, touching his radio instinctively.

Skylar took her chance and leapt clean over the counter, falling into a crouch on the other side. Her hands worked fast while the extinguisher hissed against the fire, dousing most of it as the white powder fogged up the back of the store. The girls outside gaped in horror as they watched it, Haley bringing her hands to her mouth and gasping loudly.

"She set my father's store on fire!" She cried out is terror while Anna smiled and shook her head in amazement, watching Skylar stuff something or another into the Chanel bag and hop back onto the counter, running along the length until she reached the entrance again.

"Hey, you!" The security guard called as he turned around from facing the now nearly diminished fire, taking special interest in the bolting girl who had cleared the counter. He made chase as Skylar got to her skateboard and raced out of the store.

"Go, go! Get in the car!" Anna directed as the girls all scrambled to do as she said, Haley managing to turn it on even in her angry and dumbfounded state. She drove forward and headed around the other side of the store, hoping to run into Skylar on the way.

"Peace out!" Skylar called as she threw her skateboard to the ground, running beside it and hopping on as it gained speed down the street.

She kicked and pushed her foot against the ground to increase speed as she came upon the far corner of the store, knowing better than to run towards her friend's vehicle. The security guard, though not in his best physical shape, took off after her and yelled at her to stop. Skylar crouched down to gain momentum before launching herself over a drop at the end of the lot, skidding into a turn around the corner as she found the street below.

"Where the hell is she?!" Anna cursed as she looked out the windows in the back seat, pointing the camera in all directions as they drove around the block. The other girls shook their heads as they looked out for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Skylar raced down the street with the security guard close behind, clipping corners and avoiding obstacles as she jumped from the raised side-walk to the pavement. She recognized Haley's sport utility vehicle as it pulled up in front of her, and Penny cried out from the passenger's seat.

"Look out! Don't hit her!" She squealed as everyone noticed her quickly approaching them.

Anna hurriedly moved across the vacant seats to Skylar's side of the car and yanked on the door handle, kicking it all the way open as the deviant rebel neared. Riley and Tara watched on from the far back seat as Skylar stepped on the back of her skateboard, knocking it up into her hands while she made the last few feet on foot. She jumped into the open door and yanked it closed behind her as Haley stepped on the gas, and out the window the rainbow-haired girl flipped up her middle finger at the guard.

Haley took off with a screech as the vehicle obeyed her, leaving the guard but a foot away from the door. He bent down as he caught his breath, hands on his knees as he watched them speed away, too exhausted to get a read on the license plate. He kicked at the dirt before turning back around to return to his post.

The streets were empty now, and the music from Haley's radio blared out into the vacancy beyond while the rest of the girls laughed to recount the tale. Haley shook her head in the driver's seat as her hands gripped the wheel, still fuming about the whole thing.

"That was the most badass thing I have ever seen!" Penny shouted as she turned back to look at Skylar, who smiled and pulled the strap of the bag over her head.

"And look-y, look-y what Skye snagged for the party," Skylar narrated as she pulled out the Highland Park 30 from within the bulging bag, presenting it to Haley in the rear view mirror.

"Oh, what kind of friend are you anyway? You could have burned down my father's store!" She snarled with a huff, but nothing could put a damper on the mood right then.

"Where did you even learn to do that?" Tara said as she leaned forward in the far back seat, surprised at Skylar's knowledge of fire-starters.

"The Net, of course," Skylar beamed as her fingers ran over the bag, "Oh, but I couldn't just get something for Steele and not get something for the rest of you, right?"

"What?" Haley's voice nearly cracked as she watched Skylar reach back into the bag.

"For Penny, our party specialist, some tequila to keep the fun going," She handed the bottle up front and Penny gawked at it in awe, "for Riley, a little Sauvignon blanc should do the trick, you strike me as a white wine girl," she handed the bottle back, and Fluttershy blushed a bit, "for Tara, a Bacardi breezer. Baby steps, Sparks," she snickered as she gripped the thing by the neck and tossed it back.

"You can't be serious," Haley shook her head in shock as these things emerged from her bag.

"And, for the birthday girl," Skylar reached in deep to the bag and brought forth some tall, wide bottle with golden wrapping on the top, "A little celebratory champagne; though I'm sure you're more one for the harder stuff. If you ask nicely maybe Haley will share?"

"Wow," Anna took it from her hands and held the cool bottle in her own, her eyes following the looping lettering between her thumbs before letting it rest on her lap, "You're amazin', Skye."

"I know. Come on girls, give me some love." Skylar gestured to herself with open palms and smirked with pride.

"Yes, until they catch you on the security camera." Haley reminded her with a snotty tone, smiling.

"Oh, yeah, right," Skylar didn't seem all that distraught, and reached back into the seemingly endless bag, "I know it's selfish, but I picked up a little something for myself." She brought her hand back out and revealed a VHS tape to her friends, whose jaws all dropped in perfect unison.

"You are insane!" Penny cheered as she watched Anna take the tape and flip it over in her hands, realizing it was the real deal.

"All right, all right, time to celebrate." Skylar reached between Anna's legs and took hold of the champagne bottle she had positioned there to hold while she looked over the tape, and the freckled girl even yelped a bit at the touch, "Now Haley may be a bit of a buzz kill, but I think we should all commend her for being our designated driver on this fine evening."

"Seriously?" Tara blinked in shock as Penny and Skylar began to work at opening their bottles in the car.

"All right girls," Skylar finished removing the golden wrapping on the top of the bottle of champagne and held it into the air, "To a fantastic evening filled with nudity, theft, and under-aged drinking. And much more to come! Woohoo!"

"You'd better not open that in—" Haley tried to stop her, but shifted on the wheel a bit as the cork went flying, ricocheting through the vehicle and nearly hitting her in the back of the head. Haley gasped as bubbles began to pour from the bottle, and Skylar brought it to her lips, "Berkeley! I'm driving here, and you're going to ruin those leather seats!"

"Come here, birthday girl!" Skylar wrapped her arm around Anna and pressed the bottle to her lips, watching as she took a few thirsty sips before needing a breath.

Anna broke away and laughed as Skylar took another sip of the still-bubbling liquid. Overwhelmed by the fizzing of the substance, Skylar pulled Anna in closer again, allowing them to both press their lips against the bottle and drink it at the same time. The champagne poured over their lips and dripped onto their laps as they struggled to get most of it down, and their lips brushed against each other in the mix.

Skylar noticed immediately the way her body reacted to the touch, but watching as Anna licked and gulped at the substance did nothing to make that go away. The champagne stopped spurting at last and Anna put her hand over Skylar's on the bottle, lowering it and breathing in deeply, smiling and chuckling as she met her best friend's eyes. That solidified Skylar's need to get her dare in motion, her need to have something take away her temptation and assure her of its impossibility. Skylar's expression was abnormally calm, so Anna nudged her hard with an elbow to bring back her confident and aggressive smirk.

"S'wrong, R.D.?" Anna asked in a low voice, her hot, sweet smelling breath rolling over Skylar's cheek as she leaned in and spoke, "Bit of a lightweight?" She used Skylar's middle initials as her own unique nickname.

"You wish, so you wouldn't have to try so hard to get me drunk," Skylar playfully ran her fingers along Anna's thigh and took another sip of the champagne, finding a better excuse for her temporary silence, "Nah, I was just wondering who was next in the order. It's just you and Tara, and I kind of hope it's Tara, the girl's been pretty quiet the whole time."

"Hey!" Tara peeped up and the two girls looked back at her, noticing she was actually paying attention.

"Well al'right then, Tar, your go," Anna moved a bit away from Skylar so they could turn around more comfortably and look back at the bookworm.

"I knew my time would come," She sighed in defeat and looked ahead at the only two girls who had yet to dare someone, "Okay, Anna, you dare me. I think it's probably safer to ask you than Lasky."

"I dunno, sugar cube," Anna grinned as she leaned forwards and took the champagne, drumming her fingers over the bottle as she chewed on her lip to hold back the devious, crooked smirk long enough to speak, "I think you might need to get started on that breezer for what I got up m'sleeve."

Tara held the bottle up high, tilting it all the way back and squeezing her eyes shut as she finished the last few sips. She threw the bottle onto the ground in the vehicle as she put her hand to her head, wincing as the alcohol slipped into her stomach. Skylar and Anna smiled at each other in the silence before Skylar looked over at Tara and broke it.

"So, how do you feel?" She asked, though there was clearly another motive behind the question than just asking about intoxication.

"Don't rush me." Tara replied in a huff, leaning forward a bit as Riley nervously sat beside her. Tara sighed audibly as she tried to relax, but her nerves were getting the better of her.

"Well, what better reason than to open up that bottle of wine, eh Riley?" Skylar said with a nod, and Riley nervously played with the lid, uncertain if she should.

"Oh, um, I don't," She stammered and stuttered a bit as her shaking fingers touched the cool glass, but Tara reached over and snatched it from her uncharacteristically.

"Let me." Tara hurriedly twisted the cheap metal cap off and began to down the liquid, though she winced from the sour taste she had not gotten from the breezer. She pulled it away from herself and wiped her lips, staring at the ground and frowning, "Still nothing."

"Here," Anna sat up and moved to the front of the vehicle between the driver and passenger's seats, reaching up by the steering wheel, "Lemme help." She flicked on the wind shield wash, which sprayed up on the glass before the wipers began to push it to either side.

"That's not funny." Tara groaned as she pinched her knees together, somewhat relieved that she had decided to wear a skirt on that particular evening. She took another long few sips of the white wine before handing it back to Riley, who fumbled it a bit before accepting it. "I can't believe you're making me do this. I am class Valedictorian, Student Council Secretary and Treasurer. I could get suspended or expelled or—"

"Just do it!" Skylar nearly shouted, looking back without mercy at the girl who clasped her hands over her lap and began hyperventilating. "You'll feel better afterwards, you know you will."

"Shut up, Berkeley." Tara growled as she grabbed the wine again, downing another few sips while Riley retained hold on it, before kicking the seat ahead of her until Skylar scampered over to Anna's side. "Let me out, already."

"I think she might actually have a break-down!" Penny said as the rest of them opened up their doors and began getting out.

"You're one to talk." Haley murmured, in reference to Penny's own dare.

Tara shoved the door closed behind her as the others finished getting out, and she turned around to storm up the the house they were parked in front of. Anna opened up the screen on the camera once more while the others giggled and shushed each other as they went to find a good vantage point. Tarat crept up to the house, a tall, white structure with the lights all off on the inside. She checked the windows beside the front door and looked around anxiously.

"Over here!" Penny whispered as they all stacked behind a parked car, watching as Tara turned her back to the front door of the house.

"Oh my God." Haley gasped as she watched her friend shift a bit as she pulled down her underwear from beneath her skirt, purple colored no surprise, and squat down in front of the door.

"Is she doing it?" Penny asked as she tried to get a better look, her excitement brimming as Anna held the camera steady.

"She's totally splitting the whisker!" Skylar hissed with a surprised voice, holding back laughter at how ridiculous the scene was. They all gaped as they watched a nearly invisible stream of liquid begin to pool on the doormat below her. Skylar looked over at Anna, "You think she'll get kicked out of student council if Hartford catches her?"

"Yeah." Anna nodded up and down certainly as the screen captured it all.

"Good, let's test that." Skylar put her hands on the hood of the parked car and jumped, turning around and sitting down right on the hood in front of Anna. Everyone else gasped as the car alarm began to blare through the neighborhood.

Skylar climbed back down and looked over at the house, seeing Tara still in the middle of her dare and freaking out. Lights came on inside and shone out through the window, and the rest of the girls just stared in awe. Tara didn't have much time to move as she tried to finish up, incapable of making herself stop while something so scary was happening.

"Oh no!" Riley squeaked a bit as she brought her hands to her face.

"She is so busted!" Penny chirped as the girls stood up from behind the car and watched more lights come on inside the house.

Tara looked back over her shoulder as she heard the door unlock and hurriedly reached down to try and grab her underwear, which was caught around her socks. The door fully opened and a drowsy Principal Hartford emerged in a nightgown, staring in confusion at the spectacle before her. Tara began to run but tripped over her underwear, falling into the grass as she attempted to scamper away. Her skirt flipped up over her bare ass as she fell, and she hurriedly got to her feet again and pulled her underwear back up all the way.

"Tara Sparks?" Principal Hartford's voice called out, though it was too dark to see for certain, "Is that you?"

Tara sprinted across the lawn towards the vehicle, parked just behind a tree so it might not be spotted. The rest of the girls had made it there by then and left the door open for her, Haley turning it on immediately after entering. Celeste squinted to try and see clearly, then looked down at the welcome mat below her feet. She noticed the small puddle right away, and frowned in disgust, shaking her head irritably as gesturing with open palms a silent question.

"Tara, smile for the camera!" Skylar cried as Anna continued to point it at their target as she climbed into the passenger's seat this time.

"That was so mean!" The poor girl cried out as they took off, and most everyone else howled in laughter. Celeste just watched them drive off and ran a hand through her hair, turning back around apathetically and slamming the door shut behind her.

"It'll be okay, Tara," Riley tried to calm her, but Tara would have none of it.

"I just mooned Principal Hartford. I just mooned Principal Hartford. She saw my bare rear, after I peed on her doormat." Tara placed her head in her hands and shook a bit, mortified.

"Yeah I think that's the gist of it." Skylar nodded with a smirk, finishing the last few sips of Anna's champagne before picking up Riley's wine and frowning at it.

"Give me some of that." Tara barked as she reached back to grab it, but Skylar moved it away quickly.

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" She inquired aggressively, but Tara did not look amused. "Seems to me you might need something a little stronger. Steele, you still got that Highland Park 30?"

"I didn't throw it out the window or anything, so yes." Haley replied as she passed the item back to her rainbow-headed friend, who cracked it open and went to take the first swig.

"Oh, sorry, ladies first." Skylar handed it to Anna, who chuckled a bit at the implication but drank some nonetheless. Skylar then passed it up to Tara, who nearly choked on the thick and toxic taste.

"Ugh! How can you drink this?" She coughed loudly and covered her mouth as she tried to keep it down.

"Trust me Tar, if you want that dare burned out of that photographic memory, just drink." Skylar snorted as she watched her try again, only to be corrected by her coughing voice.

"E-Eidetic," Tara told her through choking, and she passed it back to Skylar while she managed to get a hold of herself.

"Whatever Sparks, you just peed on Hartford's doormat, eidetic or not we are all going to remember that." Skylar laughed as she brought the beverage to her lips and took a big, mouth-cleansing swig.

"So, are you going to tell me where I'm driving now or should I just keep going around in circles?" Haley asked as she peered back at the slowly swaying Skylar.

"Oh, you know where we're going," She told Haley as she pulled on the back of her seat to sit more upright, "Olivia's party, remember?"

"But Anna still hasn't done a dare yet." Tara pointed as she looked back at the blonde girl, who sheepishly grinned a bit while Skylar handed her the liquor to sip.

"I know, I've got a perfect dare for my girl already." Skylar said, and the rest of them realized that Skylar was the only one who had not given a dare, so the decision went to her without question.

"Y'do?" Anna asked as she looked into the bright pink eyes of her best friend, whose devilish smirk betrayed their usual playful interaction.

"Oh yes," Skylar leaned in closer to her friend, forcing her against the seat shyly as her best friend's lips came dangerously close to her own, and her words were laced with poison and trouble. Anna blinked nervously as she kept her mouth shut, watching Skylar's smile grow wide and her eyes narrow, "I triple dog dare you," Her mouth moved with the words, slow and tantalizing as they were, "To let someone go to third base with you tonight."

"What was that?!" Anna blushed brightly as her whole body went numb, feeling the weight of Skylar as she pressed on her knee and hovered merely an inch from her nose, "You're not serious!"

"I am, I am very serious." Skylar put on a fake serious face but cracked a smile as she noticed Anna's utter reluctance.

"But I—that ain't like me!" She argued defiantly, moving against the aggression of her best friend and squirming over to the window for some air.

"Exactly. Now, the only matter left for you to decide, is with whom you shall take the dirty plunge." Skylar sat back down and deviously chewed on the idea, letting the others in the car look around uncertainly. "I suggest a certain grease monkey named Seth."

"Seth?" The name sounded foreign and bitter on her lips, like she didn't like the taste of it one bit. Anna stared at her best friend with wide and attentive eyes, then shifted them to meet those looking at her in the rear-view mirror. "But I dunno him, or like him much for that matter."

"Well, the choice is yours, I suppose," Skylar fiddled around in the pocket of the seat in front of her, pulling out the electric shaver that she had brought along just in case, "But I hear guys don't really go for bald girls. So either you go to third tonight, or you might not get the chance again until you're out of college."

"Skye," Anna murmured her name pleadingly, but the rebel's mind was made up and the dare had been cast. She sighed and chewed on her cheek like she was keeping some secret, but instead of spitting it out she drowned it back like swallowing a pill, chugging more distasteful mouthfuls of Jerry's.

The roof spun around a bit as the burning liquid went down, and Applejack's chest got tight as she finished her drink, handing it off to somebody, she couldn't really tell who. Her body tingled as it sank in, and she breathed out a hot and bothered breath. She closed her eyes for a second, regretting what could come of this already.

The group pulled up outside an average suburban house, littered with pedestrians and party-goers scattered across the lawn and moving inside and out of the open front door. Haley parked just across the street and the doors opened consecutively, passengers hopping and wobbling out as the rest of the alcohol was slipped between seats or back into bags. Anna's fingers trembled as she approached the house, looking down at herself and hearing the way her boots clicked over the dark pavement. Her eyes jumped up to Skylar, who was watching her carefully with this smart-ass smirk on her face.

"H-How do I look?" Anna asked anxiously, looking over at her best friend imploringly.

"Sexy as hell, like usual." Skylar came over to her friend and placed her hands on the farmer's defined hips, leering at her through the light haze of liquor that had begun to creep up on her. She reached up and undid the highest done-up button, revealing a little more of her modest friend's cleavage despite protests, "Listen, just be cool, A.J., he already likes you."

"Yeah." Anna nodded but her word came out less than believable. She watched as her best friend turned back around and strode towards the house, her swinging legs an obnoxious trait she often employed to stand out. Anna's mouth moved before consent came, "Hey'a, R.D.? Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Yeah, of course, anything." Skylar responded promptly, looking back at the blonde girl as she caught up and fell into step beside her.

"Do you know anything about," Anna was uncertain how her friend might react, for she knew best how temperamental the rainbow-haired girl could be. Still, she could not avoid the topic any longer, "Glenda?"

Skylar stopped walking, silenced by the question for a moment. She contorted her face a bit as she repressed the instinctual bark for something a little more level headed, though not by much, "Why, uh, why would you ask me something like that? Why do you even care?"

"Relax, I was just askin'—" Anna began again but Skylar glared her down, browbeating her into submission before speaking.

"No, you relax!" Her voice echoed a bit across the street, and the other four girls noticed the tension right away. They stopped and watched as the two bickered, "And nothing, I don't know anything about her, she was older than me."

"Sydney just said—" Anna could hardly get a word in as Skylar went off, the haze of liquor dropping over them rather suddenly.

"Who cares what Gates said?" Skylar yelled as she extended her arms to either side, letting out a harsh and loud sigh, "Look, she wasn't even there, so she doesn't know anything. In fact, I wasn't even there. Okay? I didn't even know the girl, all I know, is that there was a party. Glenda was depressed or some shit, maybe her dog died or she got a bad grade or her parents were getting divorced, who cares?" Skylar shook her head in apathy, narrowing her eyes at her best friend, who just stood there taking the brunt of her outburst, "She just ran off and found her way to the bridge. Look, people who are depressed do crazy things. Maybe she was just some junkie who lost her will to live. I didn't ask her, all I know is that she jumped. Okay?"

"You lyin' t'me?" Anna asked readily, watching Skylar force the eye contact.

The two of them puffed out their bottom lips at each other in deep frowns, their eyebrows low as they were locked in an intimidatory glare. The two of them were the most stubborn and abrasive of the group, and they would often get into tense disagreements that turned into physical confrontation or staring contests. They stepped closer and bore their eyes into each other, their bodies so near it seemed more like a dance than any feud. Before anything more violent came of it, they were broken up.

"Skylar Berkeley, is that you?" A proper sounding voice chimed in simply as the dark haired girl stepped out of the doorway to find the group on her lawn, "I thought I heard an obnoxious voice. What are you doing at my party?"

"Not now, Olivia, can't you see I'm talking to Anna?!" Skylar snapped at the girl, who had directed their negative glares to herself.

"My my, someone's having an episode," Olivia let out a light and posh laugh as she watched the two rough girls step away from each other and let their differences rest, "You know that you weren't invited, so can you just leave already?"

"Listen here you prissy, stuck up little—" Skylar started off but the girl before her just checked her nails before speaking up to cut her off.

"You want to know why I didn't invite you, Lasky?" That question halted Skylar's explosive aggression, and she impatiently waited for an answer, "See, a few months ago, I heard a rumor. Anticipating it might hold some fact, I avoided you. That rumor told that a certain rainbow-headed girl had become quite furious with a friend of hers, and that rainbow-headed girl had pushed her friend off a certain bridge." Anna's eyes narrowed as the suspicions rose, but she did not believe a word of it. Skylar bit at her lip and shook her head, clenching her fists so hard her short nails dug into her skin, "The more of that temper I see, the more accurate it sounds."

"Oh, I can show you temper," Skylar murmured as she went to step forward and display just how savage and uncouth she could be, but something stopped her.

"Easy, easy," Anna gently wrapped her hand around Skylar's balled up fist, quelling the bubbling anger with a simple action. Skylar looked down at their hands together, and felt something warm and calming about the little embrace. Anna continued to relax the situation, "Look, we're here already, so how's about you just let us hang around, we ain't gonna cause any trouble, promise."

Olivia looked at her carefully, knowing that Anna was never one to make a scene or cause trouble if she could help it. She may not have liked the girl, but she knew that she was respectable anyway. Besides, Haley was with them, so she could surely direct them to behave. The better-off girl sighed lightly and pitied the group before her, thinking that their silly parties must have paled in comparison to her own.

"Well I suppose I could be so generous. But do behave, I'd hate to have to throw you out," Olivia waved her hand dismissively.

"No you wouldn't," Skylar murmured to herself, and Anna since she was so near. She continued to frown as Olivia walked away, going back inside to mingle. Skylar snorted a bit as she took off in a quickly paced walk, gesturing with a nod of her head for the girls to follow, "Come on guys, it's a party, remember?" Her shoulders rose up a bit as she shoved her hands deep into her pockets and she glowered, the last few words seeping out with a terribly mischievous ring, "And we have a game to finish."

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **Part Two**

 **The Birthday Girl Completes Her Dare In a Way No One Expects**

"Come on, just trust me for, like, a second, okay?" Skylar said to the guy at the end of her arm as she pulled him through the crowd towards her destination. His expression was rather concerned and worried, as he knew better than to take Skylar at face value.

"Um, you show up late to the party after making a scene, find me, grab me, drag me through a crowd into this isolated part of the house, and I'm supposed to just follow silently?" Seth asked while he raised an eyebrow, rather uncomfortable with the situation, "I don't mean to be rude, Berkeley, but if you're trying to get me alone I have to say that I—"

"What? No, ew," She scoffed obnoxiously as she let his arm go, disgusted by the thought of what he might have been about to say, "Trust me, you're not my type. Just, you'll thank me later, okay?"

"Okay, but where are we—" Skylar tripped him a bit and shoved him back, abandoning him in the middle of the vacant hall as she went to get into position. "Berkeley?! Where'd you go?"

"Wait there!" Her voice called back from somewhere he could not locate, and she slipped into the entrance of a dimly lit room. The lighting was poor but perfect, and the music from the rest of the party drifted softly into the space. Skylar ran into Anna sitting alone on the bed, looking into her clasped hands as they rested on her lap, "Hey you. You ready?"

"I," Anna chewed at her cheek as she thought about it, but managed to look up at her best friend despite her uneasiness, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Great, he's waiting down the hall." Skylar grabbed her hands and pulled her best friend to her feet, adjusting the hat on her head and the collar of her shirt, playing with the buttons like she thought about undoing more, "You'll be fine. Relax, okay?"

"I'll try," Anna murmured as she watched her friend's hand move over her clothing, silently begging her to do more instead of forcing her into something like this. But still, she knew that there was little else she could do but follow the instructions and leave the room, pushing the hanging beads out of the doorway like they were stuck several decades in the past.

"Good luck!" Skylar called after her friend as she began to look around, checking under the bed and behind an object or two, "Hey, where are you guys?"

"Over here! Hurry up!" Tara's voice whispered quietly as she emerged from the closet and gestured for Skylar to get over to her.

Skylar cleared the room in a matter of seconds and closed the closet door behind her, peeking out through the few cracks that allowed light to come in. She could see Haley and Penny signal at them from the door to an en-suite bathroom, and flashed them a thumbs up between the doors as she made room for the camera. Taking it from the wobbly hands of Riley, Skylar pushed the lens of the video camera through the crack in the closet doors and tested the view range, smiling as it pleased her.

"We're going to record it?!" Tara whispered in shock from behind Skylar in the closet.

"Duh, we have to, that's the game." Skylar said in an obvious tone, looking at the lighting in the screen and biting at her lips, "Besides, it might be hot."

"You're disgusting." Tara murmured dully as she crossed her arms, "You'll watch your best friend giving a guy a good time?"

"Not exactly. I said she had to let someone get to it with her, so I'm hoping she's the one to receive." Skylar could not stop grinning as she said that, and Tara made a very dissatisfied noise.

"How is that better?!" She called loudly in an attempt at a whisper, "Well, I am not going to watch."

"Suit yourself." Skylar shrugged as she leaned out to look by the door, where Anna and Seth had not entered from yet.

"Um, I feel like I've been spending a lot of time in closets tonight." Riley pointed out, citing her own dare from earlier. No one had time to reply as they heard footsteps approaching, and Skylar shushed them loudly before leaning closer against the closet door, her eyes gleaming eagerly in the darkness.

"I don't really understand." Seth's voice breached the room as Anna led him in, though she kept her hands entirely to herself and her eyes low all the while.

"Um, Sky...Skylar told me that you kinda...that you liked me a bit." Anna fumbled for words, not really caring if it embarrassed him or anything. He tried to get a good look at her expression, but she avoided him and went to sit on the end of the bed instead.

He smirked a bit as he followed, rubbing the back of his head though he was careful not to mess up his perfectly-styled hair, "Was I so obvious?"

"I dunno." Anna distantly responded, playing with her hands in her lap and digging her boots into the carpet. She really had no idea what to say, and so she chewed on her cheek instead, something that Skylar found just charming, so she zoomed in on it.

"I do." Apparently, Skylar was not the only one who thought it was adorable, because Seth came right over and sat real close to her, putting his hand over both of hers. "I like you more than just a bit, Anna."

"Oh." She did not sound particularly pleased, but she tried not to be rude either. She was rather uneasy and confused, honestly.

"Now," Seth pulled her a little closer and touched her chin, pointing her eyes up to meet his as he spoke, "Something tells me you didn't get Skylar Berkeley to drag me down here for nothing."

"I uh," She swallowed as she looked into his eyes. He certainly was attractive, she could not deny it, and he smelled of musk and masculinity, something that charmed her so. "No, I reckon I didn't."

"Listen, I know you're not the kind of girl who hooks up with a lot of guys," He said as his hand trailed down her body, feeling her waist as he went down, and giving her an odd sensation of attention she wasn't sure she disliked, "I like that about you."

"Y'do?" Anna's voice was small and meek as he mesmerized her with sensual touches she had not felt before, trailing down her thigh and resting on her leg.

"I really do. In fact, I like a lot of things about you." Seth smiled as their eyes met, and he noticed the flushing in her freckled cheeks. He leaned in a bit as if to kiss her, but she pulled away and kept the conversation going, though it was immensely difficult not to give in to the sensations.

"Like what?" Anna halted him a mere inch away, her smile sheepish and nervous, "I don't mean to pry or nothin', but, indulge me."

"Of course." He was pleased by her resistance, always finding himself aroused by the chase and the challenge. He moved his hands in her lap and took her hand in his own. "I like your fingers," He brought them to his lips and kissed them, the moisture of his lips remaining on each knuckle as he moved up, "They're strong, they're hard-working. They know how to hold tools."

Skylar bit back a snicker as she realized the double meaning of the words, though she knew Anna would not notice. Besides, she seemed too hypnotized to do much more than stare blankly at the man who pursued her anyway, though Skylar knew that was for the best. Even Tara could not keep herself from watching the spectacle, and leaned a bit to the left to get a better view. Seth released Anna's hand and touched her hips, slipping almost a fraction too far back as he perused them.

"I like your hips," His eyes leered at her hungrily, though his words were smooth, "Perfectly shaped, and the way they sway about when you walk, it's very sexy."

"I-It is?" Anna found herself leaning into the embrace as her body began to heat up, but something was still holding her back, something was very uncomfortable about all of it.

"I like your shoulders," His hands slid up her body teasingly slowly, and some of the girls hiding were just as attentive even without the remarkably enticing touch, "Broad, defined, and firm." His eyes, however, were elsewhere on her chest, and it was somewhat flattering to Anna for someone to look at her that way and have it not be a prank.

"Holy shit," Tara muttered as she watched on in the screen in Skylar's shaking hands, finding it easier to see, though she did notice the way Skylar lingered on her friend's body even more than Sev did.

"I like your cheeks," His hands made their way to her face as a grin emerged, and he rubbed his thumbs over the flushed area, "Tanned and freckled, and right now, adorably tinted with natural blush."

"I—I," Anna's lips quivered under the attention, and rational thought escaped her.

"And though we have not been formally introduced," Anna's eyes slammed into his in the dull lighting, and she gawked at his half-lidded gaze as he inched nearer, his fingers slipping behind her head. He licked his mouth before the words came out, and they emerged in a deep and sonorous tone as he went to close the distance, "I'm certain I will love your lips."

His eyes closed up as he made to kiss her, pressing himself against her body as he did. Taking in a sharp and anxious breath, Anna turned her head at the last second, and Sev's lips pressed against her cheek instead. Her eyes darted around nervously, as he chuckled against her skin, the sensation oddly pleasurable. He took it as a challenge and continued kissing her cheek, trailing down to her chin as his hands maneuvered over her body.

Anna hummed lightly as his lips touched her neck, but her face contorted worriedly, nervous about what these actions intended. He sucked at the skin a bit but continued down to her collar bone, pulling open her shirt to permit the access. His hands ran behind her back and pressed her chest against his, feeling the heat of her skin radiating to his every intrusion. Anna's hands were still though, uncertain or unwilling to touch him as he pleased.

Skylar watched on with wide eyes, the camera in her grip trembling as she squeezed it. Her lips hurt from the way she had been biting at them and rubbing them together, but still she let it go on, let this man touch her best friend and (hopefully) turn said best friend on. Skylar found herself constantly criticizing Seth's moves. She knew Anna better than he did, it wasn't fair that he was just fumbling around with her like that. He should have touched her better, kissed her longer, stroked her and embraced her like she deserved.

"Uh...Skylar? A-Are you okay?" Riley's voice would go unheard and forgotten.

Skylar's eyes moved from the screen to the reality of the situation, leaving the camera to drift a bit. In the dim pixels of the screen in her hands, Anna closed her eyes as the feelings became more intense and she wanted to just fall into them, to ignore the protests of her mind and heart for the sake of a dare and a possibly enjoyable experience. Her fingers and palms touched his shoulder, but she did not like the way he felt, so big and intimidating.

"I'm glad you came tonight." His voice rolled over her skin as his knee slipped between hers, causing her to jump a bit. All the affections were tantalizing though, and she physically loved the way the touches felt on her body, "You were beginning to worry me."

She frowned to hear him speak, preferring the silence so that for an instant she could forget who he really was, "Y'should stop talking s'much."

He silently agreed as his leg dug deeper between hers, nearing a vicinity so private it made her shiver to think of. On her leg, she could feel a rising, hardening something press against her, something she could name but not imagine. She would have to see it, of course, to perform the act she needed to. His kissing became more aggressive as he squeezed at her, and she moaned a pleasurable sigh as someone else's face replaced his, someone whose lips were softer and who was much more attentive to her particular needs. His hands moved up to her face and he grabbed her forcefully, holding her still.

"Kiss me." Seth commanded, and her eyes shot open.

The reality befell her again as she saw him, and he was not who she wanted. He forced himself against her to try for a kiss again but she struggled, her own strength a match for his. Before their lips had a chance to meet, in a fit of terror and anger Anna shoved Seth off of her. She got to her feet, backing away and staring as him as he fell onto the floor. He tried to regain his composure, but his shock had dashed most of his arousal. The fight intrigued him, but her furious and dissatisfied expression deterred him.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he grabbed the corner of the bed, pulling himself back up and standing those few feet away.

"I can't do this, Seth." Anna told him surely, her voice cold and distant, "I'm sorry for leadin' y'on like that, it ain't right."

"Anna," Seth frowned as he cocked his head at her, examining her utter lack of attraction to him and her reluctance to carry on, "What was your dare tonight?" Her eyes fell as she chewed at her cheek to keep the truth in, knowing the silence was enough. He nodded faintly as he understood, and he stepped backwards, "I thought so."

"I'm sorry." Anna repeated as she shook her head, "It ain't you, you're a nice guy an' all."

"I don't need the speech." He smiled with disappointment as he raised his hand between them, turning around to take his leave, "Don't get me wrong, I would have done it anyway. But you can't force people, you can't change them," He peered back over his shoulder as his eyes trailed her, "Or what they want."

Seth pushed the hanging bead door open and brushed past it, leaving Anna in the false solitude. Instantly, Skylar shoved open the closet door and forced the camera into Riley's hands, though she fumbled with the device and nearly dropped it. Skylar had hoped that Anna would have gone through with the dare. All night she'd been trying to get her friend to have a good time, and it had seemed like she might have finally succeeded for once since they'd started this stupid "Triple-Dog" game. Skylar reached into her pocket and felt for the object she hated she would have to use, striding the distance between herself and her best friend.

"Come on, what are you doing?" Skylar pulled out the electric shaver and held it between them, her hands still trembling and her expression still hurt and yet relieved, "Go down there and get him back, I shouldn't have to remind you what's at stake here if you don't do it!"

"I know, Skylar." Anna paced away from Skylar, running her hands through her hair desperately, like something was really troubling her. Her hips rocked back and forth sensually as she strode, and she stopped only to turn around. Her eyes were almost pleading, so tortured and repressed, while her eyebrows furrowed and her teeth bit at her moist lips.

"Look Anna, all you have to do is just let him kiss you a bit, give him a chance!" Skylar approached her again, and roughly touched her friend the way a man had, trying to remind her of it, "Let him kiss you, and touch you, and fondle you, and, and be happy already! Don't you want to be happy?"

Anna smiled sadly as her body responded so completely to such little touches, and her eyes met her friend's calmly, "Don't you?"

"Well...yeah but, but what do I have to do with this?!" Skylar scoffed and argued irritably, an obnoxious scowl running down her lips.

Anna's smile got a bit wider as she stepped just one foot closer, "I reckon just about everythin'."

"I have no idea what that means, but I am going to give you five seconds to go and grab somebody and finish that dare, or I am shaving your head." Skylar held the electric shaver between them as she spoke, her voice harsh and unfeeling as she stomached it all, "One—!"

Anna's lips met her own and silenced her, trapping the remaining four seconds, along with any rational thought or gasp for air, in her mouth. The rainbow-haired girl's eyes grew immensely wide as she felt those firm, tempting lips on her own, moving of their own entranced volition. The electric shaver hit the ground barely an inch from Skylar's foot, but she would not have flinched even if it did hit her. She threw her arms around her best friend's body and returned the kiss earnestly, the initial passion doubled.

The girls in the closet and bathroom gaped in shock as they watched two of their friends entwine in such a sudden and daring act. Riley's hands shook around as she debated closing up the camera and turning it off, but Tara's hand landed on top of it to stop her. Riley silently looked back and inquired why she had done so, but Tara's fascinated and intent gaze answered the unspoken question.

"Keep it running." Tara whispered as the girls before her fought each other in the most telling and violent of their collisions yet, "That's the game, right?"

Their connection was forceful and rough, competitive and violent. Anna pulled Skylar with her, sitting down onto the bed and laying back, forcing the rebellious athlete to climb over her. But before the rainbow-haired girl could get any sense of control, Anna tossed her to the side, shoving her against the plush mattress with her commanding strength.

Their kisses were harsh and abrasive, but the two of them seemed to love it that way. Their bodies pressed against each other hard as they began to explore, finding buttons and zippers and folds of clothing getting in the way. Anna lifted Skylar up off the mattress high enough to yank her loose over-shirt off of her shoulders and down her arms, leaving it in a wrinkled mess beside them. Her shirt beneath that had all kinds of holes and slits near the bottom that affected the style, and Anna was pleased to run her fingers over and into them, tugging and playing with them teasingly.

Skylar Berkeley did not like to be outdone by anyone, so with a quick show of will she reached up and undid Anna's belt buckle, button, fly and all, ripping out the shirt that was tucked respectfully into her pants. Anna responded by dipping both hands under Skylar's holey shirt, sliding them up her hot body until they found the risen rounds on her chest. An excited groan escaped Skylar's throat as Anna rubbed against her, grinning as the kiss broke and fell apart for more pleasured sounds.

"Well that escalated quickly." Penny muttered, but she was immediately shushed by Haley, who waved her hands around the bright-headed eccentric and gestured for her to quiet down.

"Shh! I'm trying to watch!" Haley snapped at her in a harsh whisper as she continued to gaze at her friends, "I officially _love_ this game!"

"You do?" Penny questioned, after all, this had been the girl that had nay-say-ed the game from the get-go. She cringed as she was shushed more vigorously.

Hands ran under clothes, clothes ran over bodies and over arms, over heads; touches ran over skin, skin over sheets and between fingers. The room was hot and intimate, and all of the spectators were locked into the moment whether they enjoyed it or not.

The two on the bed huffed loud breaths and repressed their pleasured moans as fingers slipped places they often did not belong. Those fingers were followed shortly after by lips, by kisses and invasions. Clothes mostly remained on, the struggle against them too challenging to turn down. Besides, somewhere in the backs of their minds, they remembered just how many eyes were on them. Of course, that didn't stop the rebellious Skylar from slipping her hand down Anna's pants, her fingers moving in just the right rhythm to make the farm girl let out what almost sounded like a yelp.

"Um, what exactly is third base?" Riley whispered in the closet, as she'd been wondering since Anna's dare had been initiated. Though her regular tone of voice would have been drowned out by the acts a few yards away, she was heard.

"They reached it about two minutes ago..." Tara responded as she watched on, intrigued by her own fascination and the arousal she got from watching.

As the act began to finish, their bodies moved slower and more sensually, their kisses were more loving and delicate, and their once-fierce fingers became controlled and comforting. They laid together on the bed in each other's company, enjoying the vicinity and closeness they were never before allowed to permit. Enticed by the taste of each other's lips, their kissing persisted long past the exhaustion.

Anna released her dominance over Skylar at last, easing her hold and laying beside her instead of on top. Their communion of body eased as their heavy breaths floated above them wordlessly. They smiled at each other from the nearness of a few inches away, grinning and huffing laughs as they replayed the events in their heads. Anna leaned in and kissed her lover on the nose, loving the way Skylar made a face about it and squirmed.

The pair found it in their best interests to pull their clothes back up and fully on, careful to do buttons up correctly despite their ecstatic state. They sat up in unison as they released a sigh of satisfaction, finishing pulling their shirts up over their shoulders. With eyes still dangerously devious flashing between them, they shared grins and leaned against each other. As the reality of the not-so-empty room came back to them, Skylar cleared her throat to speak.

"Alright guys, it's safe to come out." She said while over-pronouncing her words intentionally and cocking a sly smirk. There was some hesitant shuffling before the other girls came out, and they were all avoiding each others' gazes for the first few seconds, "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I guess that's one way to say Happy Birthday," Penny cracked a smile, and Anna dropped her face into her hands with an embarrassed groan.

"Well look at that, we got all the way through the game without shaving any heads. That's a first," Skylar leaned her hands against the bed and kicked her feet out as Anna bent over the side and picked up the fallen shaver.

"Does that really count as her dare?" Haley thought aloud, and the other girls hesitated to say one way or another, "I thought the rule was that it had to do that with Seth?"

"Well, her exact words were:" Tara went through her fabulous eidetic memory and repeated the words she had heard, "'I Triple-Dog-dare you to let someone go to third base with you tonight.' She never actually specified who in the initial dare, that came later."

"Awesome," Skylar pumped her fist into the air, "I love that egghead of yours sometimes."

"Um," Riley's fingers played along the sides of the camera as she held it out, "D-Do you want this back?"

"Duh! That's like, momentous as shit!" Skylar grabbed the camera and looked at it adoringly, "We can re-watch the whole thing when we get back to Anna's place. But for now, who's to say we can't stay and enjoy the party?"

"Yay!" Penny squealed as she threw both of her hands up in the air and bounced in place, "Come on, girls!"

Penny grabbed Riley, Tara and Haley, and gestured for Skylar and Anna to get up and come with them, which they did. The group went through the doorway of hanging beads and approached the steady rhythmic base that thumped through the house. The rest of the party was just up a small set of stairs, which Penny eagerly ran to. As she reached the main floor, she nearly bumped right into Sydney Gates, whose irritation had not subsided from when they had shown up at her work for Penny's dare. Anna and Skylar were right behind the rest of them as they came upstairs, and Sydney immediately set to ruining their moods.

"So, you guys finished with your stupid game yet?" Susan asked in a disinterested, condescending tone.

"As a matter o'fact, we are." Anna responded as she reached the top of the stairs before Skylar, and the other girls in front of her paused to listen to the conversation.

"Not that it's any of your business." Skylar snorted as she came up next to Anna, glaring at the antagonistic, short-haired girl.

"Hey, Jones," Sydney ignored Skylar's aggression and smirked as the topic from earlier came back to her lips, "Have you asked Skylar about Glenda, yet?"

"Yeah, I did." Anna nodded surely, and Skylar glared at Sydney to tell her to shut her big mouth, "She told me she jumped, an' I believe her."

"She did, did she? Maybe that's true. Maybe she jumped, maybe she fell, maybe she was pushed," Sydney said passively as she shrugged, but her last few words crept out in a lower tone as her eyes shifted to the rainbow-haired girl, "Or, maybe someone dared her to."

"What the fuck is your problem, Gates?" Skylar Lasky stomped in front of her, balling up her fist like she was going to fight her again. The other girls came closer to hear what was going on.

"So tell us all, Berkeley, what really happened to Glenda?" Sydney asked with a smile, pushing the focus back onto the rebel whose anger was brimming.

"She jumped." Skylar responded certainly, her glare sharp and warning.

"Yeah, she did." Sydney could not deny it, and she nodded a few times as the truth continued to come out, "Because someone dared her to."

"Skye," Anna said slowly in disbelief, turning to her best friend with a serious expression, "Is that true?"

"AJ, I swear, nothing bad was supposed to happen!" Skylar tried to defend herself, and Anna covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes went wide, "It was supposed to be—"

"—Fun? Are you guys having fun?" Sydney finished the word and asked the whole group that question. They glanced around at each other as most recalled somewhat unpleasant experiences, but said nothing about it.

"People jump off that bridge all the time and nothing happens." Skylar argued defiantly as her voice shook.

"There's a current, you idiot, but clearly you weren't thinking about that." Sydney tapped herself on the temple as she glared at the rebel, "You're not much for thinking at all, are you?"

"Watch your mouth." Anna stepped in and warned Sydney, who completely ignored her.

"You needed to be the centre of attention, as usual," Gates spoke to Skylar obnoxiously loudly as a few others overheard, "So you Triple-Dog-dared Glenda to do something you knew you couldn't."

"Oh, fuck you, Gates. I could have!" Skylar argued loudly, clenching up her fist and shaking it between them.

"I really don't think so." Sydney scoffed and looked down dully at the threat.

"Are you daring me, Gates?" Skylar asked aggressively, her glare settling into the eyes of the girl in front of her.

"No," Sydney said simply after a second, but did not leave it at that, "I would never do something so freaking stupid."

Skylar let out a long and frustrated sigh, nodding over and over as she chewed on the hard words. She felt the camera still in her hand, and raised it between them, opening the screen and letting the light illuminate her face. She shoved it into Sydney's less-than-expectant hands. Suddenly, she turned around and shoved through her friends, storming towards the door.

"Skylar!" Anna called to her friend, but she did not stop or turn around. Anna ground her teeth and pointed an angry finger at the short-haired girl, furious with her, "You bitch."

She turned around without another word and began to chase her friend, racing out the front door after her with the rest of the girls in tow. Sydney tried to act disinterested, but took off running after them anyway, shaking her head as she pressed the record button, knowing the game well enough to do so. Besides, it might provide good blackmail. Skylar reached into the open window of Haley's car and retrieved her skateboard, tossing it onto the concrete and jumping on top of it.

"Skylar! Skylar Berkeley!" Anna called out as they sprinted after her, but Skylar did not so much as look back at them, "Get your ass back here, right now!"

Still no response came from the rainbow-haired girl, who rode around the corner towards the woods on her skateboard. The others followed several yards behind, trying their best to keep up. Sydney let the camera record the ground as she tried to catch up, her athletics permitting her to make up some of the distance with relative ease. The bridge was just ahead now, and Skylar bit back her rage as she remembered what happened the last time she was there in the middle of the night.

"Skylar!" Anna's voice brought Skylar Berkeley back to the moment as she pushed off the ground, the wheels of the skateboard thudding constantly as they rolled over the planks of wood that made up the bridge. "Don't y'even think about it!"

Skylar skidded to a stop next to the makeshift cross that hung from where Glenda had jumped. She grabbed the farthest part of the ledge and roughly yanked herself up, teetering from side to side as her breath unsteadily escaped her and she stood up. She heard the many running feet of her friends chasing her, but did not look over to know they stopped a few feet away, not about to risk grabbing at her and accidentally knocking her off.

"Get down from there right now! Don't you dare jump, Skye!" Anna shouted at her, her voice trembling uneasily as she could see the hungry waves from between the planks of wood, "Skye, Skylar please, don't do this."

Skylar Berkeley slowly expelled her breath and glanced back at them, at Tara and Riley and Penny who were in tears, at Seth and Stefanie who avoided her gaze, knowing what she was doing, at Sydney Gates who stood behind the rest of them, the camera in her hands. Skylar's gaze settled on Anna, who's worried expression was almost enough to pull her out of this stupid dare. Her own guilt was strong, though, as she remembered the same dare that she herself had forced on a girl who could never have completed it.

Meeting the eyes of Anna Jones, Skylar brought her hand to her lips and kissed her own fingers, extending her hand towards the girl she loved as she blew the sentiment through the air. Anna shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Skylar's movements were quicker. Her pink eyes looked out over the dark abyss that swallowed up the silence in rough waters, and she jumped into it.

"No! NO! _NO SKYLAR_!" Anna screamed as she raced after her, climbing onto the edge to follow her until her friends got a hold of her.

"Anna, don't!" Tara called as she and Penny got their arms around her, though the farm girl was so strong she pulled the three of them onto the ledge far enough to peer over it.

"You're crazy!" Haley and Riley joined the fight as they took hold of their friends, finally managing to stop Anna from going over.

"Skylar...Skye," Anna repeated, though it was terribly quiet and weak. Her eyes searched the dark waters, but her head shook with dread, "I don't see anythin', I don't see her!"

The current was so strong that no matter how hard Glenda had tried, she could not bring herself back to the surface. Skylar Rebecca Delilah Berkeley, the girl who had indirectly killed someone over a stupid, stupid game, fought those same, unforgiving swells, holding her thinning breath as her hands reached out and scraped against the pull of the darkness.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

 **A Tying Up of Loose Ends**

"Get down to the river bed!" Tara Sparks shouted as the rest of the group pulled Anna back over the ledge. As soon as her boots hit the bridge she took off in a sprint, staring at the water while she raced towards the trail. Riley grabbed Skylar's skateboard as they ran past it, hurrying down to the water. The girls clambered over rocks and down the hill until they reached the river, which was loud from the waves but echoed no tells of life. In silence, the group stared out into the water uncertainly, waiting for some shout or cry or break of water. As the moments dragged on, no such things happened.

"I don't see anything!" Anna Jones nearly shouted with distress as she picked up her hat and ran her trembling hands through her bangs.

"Me neither..." Penny Loverly replied as she looked around under the bridge, finding nothing.

"SKYLAR! SKYLAR BERKELEY!" Anna called out into the darkness, but there were no replies.

"Maybe she swam to the other side?" Sydney Gates suggested, her own guilt catching up to her. Anna's terrifyingly furious gaze hit her and almost knocked her off her feet.

"You," Anna's word seethed out, and she was visibly livid.

"I didn't make her do it!" Sydney defended herself as she stepped back from Anna, "What dumb-ass jumps from a bridge in the middle of the night?! She was here last year, she knew exactly what would happen!"

Anna groaned as she knew it was true, and she kicked a large rock out of her way as she stormed up to the riverside, staring out into the water. Her eyes were moist and her chest was burning, but her eyes just kept searching.

"What's that?" Riley squeaked out, clutching the skateboard to her chest as the attention of the group shifted to something floating in the water.

Without hesitation Seth ran out into the water, not caring about his shoes as they sunk under the surface. He reached down into the icy water and felt the object in his hand, pulling it, dripping, out of the river's waves. He turned it over in his hand and recognized it immediately as Skylar Berkeley's beloved, light-blue Converse high-top. He turned around and revealed it to his friends, who gasped and gaped.

"Shit," Penny cursed as she covered her mouth in shock.

"I'm calling the police," Tara Sparks said as she pulled out her cell phone, checking for reception as she backed away from the scene to get some privacy.

"She probably swam to the other side," Stefanie reasoned as she started back to the bridge, gesturing for the rest of them to follow her, "Come on."

"S-SKYLAR!" Anna called out again in the cold water, trying to calm her erratic and hysterical breathing as she looked around, "SKYYYYLAAAR!"

Riley remained still on the shore with the skateboard in her trembling hands, closing up her watering eyes. Penny, Stefanie, and Haley went to check the other side as Tara spoke to the police over the phone several yards away. Seth had moved back to the bridge, trying to find a flashlight among his various items in the pack he'd brought. Anna stepped through the thick water as she called out again, hearing the fear in her own voice as it cracked. She traversed further downstream into the darkness. Tears streaming uninhibited, and Riley followed carefully after her.

"M-Maybe we should find the others?" Riley looked back towards the bridge over her shoulder, and Anna looked back at her but could not reply.

"I thought the fun was just starting," a cold and raspy voice commented drily, as the sopping wet owner of said voice came around a large rock on the riverbed.

Anna Jones whirled around and saw her there, her hair sticking to the sides of her face and her clothes hanging down low around her body as she dripped onto the rocks. "Sk-...Skye?"

"What? You two look like you've just seen a ghost or something." Skylar's voice faded as she forced a smile, but it faded as no one else laughed.

Anna stared at her for a moment as her eyebrows sunk down over her glare and her voice broke out in a shout, "Y'think that was FUNNY?!" Anna stormed up to her and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, though Riley hurried to pull her off of the rebellious girl, "I thought you were dead!"

"Stop, Anna!" Riley managed to push the two apart, but neither of them listened to what the meek girl said.

"I thought you were DEAD!" Anna repeated as pathetic tears formed around her reddening eyes.

"AJ," Skylar started with a concerned expression, but Anna shouted at her again.

"You shut your goddamn mouth!" She screamed as she shoved the rainbow-haired girl, "Y'fucking moron!"

"Look Anna, if we're not cool any more, I can just walk myself home, okay? You don't have to hang around with me any more." Skylar growled back and shook her head.

"Fine! Then walk yourself home, y'damn idiot!" Anna yelled and gestured for Sky to just leave.

"Fine, I will." Skylar stated simply as Anna put her hand to her face, trying to sort it out into words.

"How could you?" Anna bit back a snivel, "How could y'be s'damn selfish, Skylar?!"

"Selfish?" Skylar laughed and shook her head as tears began to form in her own eyes, but words erupted from her mouth as she shouted back, "I just needed to do something, to see what happened. 'cause it was my fault! So fuck you, for not understanding that!" Skylar stormed away, snatching the skateboard from Riley's grasp and making to run away from her emotions as she always did.

"Berkeley?! The fuck was that shit all about?" Seth called out as he ran toward the sopping girl, holding a warm-looking blanket. Skylar stopped her skateboard and let Seth catch up, wrapping the blanket around her as he did so.

"I had to see what it was like, Seth. I had to do it for Glenda." That's when Skylar broke down into full-blown tears, sobbing more than she ever had before, "The c-c-current w-was so str-strong, Seth! I c-c-couldn't fight it! I d-d-didn't know what it w-was l-like!" Seth pulled her into a warm hug, hugging the shivering and shaking girl for awhile before speaking.

"Skylar. Listen to me. It was an accident. It wasn't your fault-"

"Y-yes it w-was!" Skylar interrupted.

"-you didn't mean to hurt anyone." Seth continued, shushing her and acting like she hadn't made any real attempt to speak, "You couldn't have known what was waiting for her. Glenda made the choice to jump in the end. Triple-Dog may have an embarrassing penalty, but your birthday was in the summer and Glenda could have easily taken the path that Gates did.

"You know what, forget Gates, that bitch is the reason you kept hanging around Glenda anyway. I was there, Sky. I know what happened that night, and I don't blame you for any of it, other than the drinking part but then again I was drinking too so ignore that, and you know what else Skylar? I know you've spent every day since that night crying on the inside and beating yourself up over what happened. You're gonna be fine, just please stop crying." Seth's words had a calming effect on Skylar, and she eventually calmed down exponentially.

She didn't know where Anna was, but at that very moment she wanted nothing more than to hug the girl she loved. Seth, sensing the change in Skylar's needs, beckoned to someone over Skylar's shoulder, and Anna was right there, tackling the rebel off of her skateboard and hugging her close, apologizing profusely and crying. Skylar hugged back and sobbed out her own apology, and after awhile the two girls' eyes met and Seth could feel the affection and love in their embrace. He backed up to the railing and put the items back into his pack while the two girls just held each other. Skylar's hands rested on the prominence of Anna's hips, while Anna brushed the wet hair from her lover's face.

"Y'kay, honey?" Anna asked Skylar, and the latter nodded slowly, "Good. Let's go 'n find th' others, m'kay?"

"Ok-kay...I totally suck."

"Yea, y'kinda do," Anna smiled and wrapped her arm around Skylar, helping her stand. She leaned against Anna and the farm girl, smiling to herself, kissed her feisty rebel on the forehead. They headed for the bridge, looking for their friends. The groups met up on the bridge, and upon seeing their friend they broke out into a headlong sprint.

"You are the most stupid person I have ever met, seriously," Haley told Skylar once they were close enough to hear each other talk.

"Shut it, Steele, okay?" Anna told her, while Skylar merely looked down.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Kylar," Stefanie breathed, smiling widely and pulling Seth over to the group. In the companionable silence, the sound of sirens was heard in the distance, and they noticed the blue and red flashes from behind the treeline.

"Fuck, the cops! C'mon guys!" The group took off after Tara, leaving the raging current behind them. Skylar would be back many times over the next few years, just sitting and staring out across the angry waters.

Minus Sydney Gates, Stefanie Fuego, and Seth McIntyre, the group sat in Haley's car outside of Olivia's pad, all of them crammed into the back two seats as they held the camera up in front of them. They laughed loudly as they replayed the events of evening before their very eyes, right up until Tara peed on Celeste's stoop. Passing around the last remains of the alcohol they had brought with them, the girls deliberated the final score.

"I think it goes without saying," Penny said as she leaned over the back of the forward-most seat, where Anna and Skylar held the camera between them, "Skylar, for sure."

"Hey, I had to pee on Celeste's stoop!" Tara argued, and the girls looked at each other with smiles, "She saw my bare butt!"

"I say Skylar." Haley admitted sourly, knowing her own dare was not quite so glamorous as her friend's.

"What about Penny, taking off her shirt in front of a huge crowd?" Tara brought up, and a few of the girls nodded passively, "Or Anna, losing her—"

"My vote goes t'Skylar," Anna interrupted as she hurriedly paused the camera, noticing her own dare beginning to play on the little screen.

"Mine too," Riley agreed shyly, causing Tara to sigh with defeat.

"Yeah, all right. You win, Skylar. The pot is yours." Tara finally gave up trying, and leaned back against the seat.

"And I know just what to do with it," Skylar grinned as she struggled to get the camera away from the blushing Anna, "I say we head on back into that party and enjoy ourselves. Then, we can stop off and get shit-tons of pizza!"

"Sounds good to me!" Penny cheered and shook the SUV with her dancing in her seat.

"And maybe," Skylar grinned as she leaned closer to the already-flustered Anna, "After the others fall asleep, you and I can re-visit our little dare, alone." She winked, tapping the video camera with her eager fingers, and the others chuckled as they heard her plan.

Just as planned, the group went back and joined the rest of the party, making the most of the almost fateful evening. Penny, being the most prone to partying, recalled the most of what happened that night as she made her way through the crowds almost aimlessly. Visiting her multitudes of friends as she passed, she remembered stopping by and finding Haley and Spike on the couch.

"I thought it was brave of you, Haley," the younger boy murmured as he helped her lay out some swatches she had brought along in her bag along their knees.

"How many people, do you think, saw the pictures?" Haley nervously asked, pursing her lips as her eyes went over the swatches.

"Blake has almost the whole school in his contacts, so probably everyone," Seth told her certainly, but noticing the disappointed expression on her face, he went to console her, "Don't worry about it though, I think it will be good for your reputation. Riding a horse down a street in the middle of the night, it kind of makes you a badass, don't you think?"

"Well," Haley chewed the term over, not entirely pleased with it but not entirely deterred by it either, "I suppose it does, doesn't it?"

"I thought you looked pretty good doing it, too," Seth added shyly, running his hands over the fabrics.

"My, you are a sweet boy, aren't you?" Haley smiled at him, and he returned the expression.

Excusing herself with a sneaky knowing grin, Penny continued through the crowd until she found a simple, suspicious-looking closet. Too curious not to suddenly rip it open and catch whoever it was red handed, Penny placed her hand on the knob. With an apprehensive and excited grin, Penny tore the door open and peered inside.

"Eek—Penny?!" A voice squealed as Penny's eyes adjusted to the darkness, catching a glimpse of the girl's pale pink hair.

"Ohmygosh, Riley?!" Penny gasped loudly, only to be pulled into the closet and have the door closed behind her.

Inside, a light flicked on and she was astounded to see the messed-up hair of not only her most timid friend, but of another friend's older brother. She gasped again and pointed her shocked finger between the two. It landed at last on Mark, whose embarrassed face grew redder every moment.

"You and Mark? It's a thing?!" She called, but Riley covered her mouth nervously.

"Please, please don't tell Anna! Promise me, Penny!" Riley squeaked out with pleading eyes, and Pinkie was on board immediately.

"Not a word!" Penny sword with a firm nod, though she was clearly giddy to have such a secret known, "Besides, it's not like Anna's innocent either, right?" She slapped her hands over her mouth as the words came tumbling out.

"Pardon?" Mark's voice was low and compelling, but Penny hurriedly brushed it off.

"Uh, nothing! Just go back to doing, um," She didn't really know how to put it, but after already fumbling for the doorknob and cranking it open, she had to leave them with something, "Riley!"

Penny slammed the door on them and pressed her back up against it, glancing around to see if anyone had seen. Wiping the imaginary sweat from her brow and sighing in relief, she left the two in the closet to do...whatever they were doing.

With another quick lap of the house, Penny came to realize that after a few drinks, Tara Sparks had become the life of the party. She amazed the crowd with retelling some of the more interesting events of the evening, and had somehow grown out of her social anxiety. There was one pair Penny didn't get a fix on, and that pair was Anna and Skylar. She looked everywhere for the two girls, hoping to find them so she could have a friend or two to party with. Her search was in vain and admittedly short-lived anyway, because her favorite song came on and she got distracted.

Penny sure knew her parties, but this would be one to remember; no matter how much tequila she had consumed by then. Besides, even if she did forget, they always had the video tape, and surely she would make certain they all got their own personal copies. Though some of them had been initially reluctant, in the end, everyone ended up having one hell of an experience. Maybe all it took to have a great and memorable night was taking the risk to do something a little...daring.


	7. Sneak Peek to Part Two (Revised)

The dulcet tones of Eminem's 'Till I Collapse featuring Nate Dogg floated out of the open window, where a young boy of about seventeen lay on his back, flicking a Zippo lighter open and closed in a hypnotic trance. He was mulling over the past few years and judging his actions, albeit a bit too harshly. He was by no means proud of his reaction to losing his scholarship to the West Point United States Military Academy last week. He'd screamed out his counselor and smashed the snow globe sitting on the desk. That incident had gotten him suspended for two weeks, considering he also threw the chair he'd been sitting in. You might be asking why he had this reaction to losing the scholarship. After all, it was just one scholarship, hardly the sort of thing that rectified throwing a chair and screaming at a counselor. What you have to know to understand is the reason he'd lost the scholarship. To understand that you'd need to know that his father was on the Board of Directors at West Point, and absolutely hated his adopted son.

The young boy was named Diemendes Carlos Cortez, and he hated his name so much he changed it to DC; unofficially, of course. The young boy vilified the longer name, as he wasn't even remotely Hispanic; he was in fact Native American, of the Navajo tribe specifically, and his true name was Connor Tseyi'nii tsoh. His adopted father had changed the name to purposefully demean the boy, which only provided another reason for Connor to hate the man. "DC Cortez," as he'd renamed himself, was an outcast at his school in many ways, as evidenced by his being alone on a Friday evening. Perhaps as a direct result of his loneliness, Connor wasn't like other teens in many ways. He wasn't self-concerned or conceited, he wasn't disrespectful or rebellious, and he certainly wasn't a delinquent.

He was a straight-laced, well-off young man who crossed his T's and dotted his I's. Connor was a member of the ROTC at his high school, and captained the boy's Cross-Country and baseball teams. Connor was a straight-A student whose GPA had never dropped below 3.9 since his 6th grade year. His room was clean as was his appearance, and he took excellent care of his adopted father's Weimaraner hunting dog, Assassino ("Killer," in his foster-father's native Portuguese), and King Cobra, Ditador ("Dictator," in Portuguese). So you can imagine his own surprise when last year he neglected the routine cleaning and strict home work schedule and opted instead to sneak out and drink liquor with a classmate and her group of friends. Connor had of course made up for this lapse in control, but every night that year he snuck out and hung around the girl more and more. At the beginning of this month, he had a 1.8 GPA and been suspended from all of those teams and dropped from the ROTC program until he got his grades back up. His counselor was vainly attempting to reign him back in, but for the moment he was swept up in the frivolous lifestyle and relishing in the respite from being "perfect" for his "father."

Connor swung his legs down from the bed, stepping across the room to where his skateboard lay, realizing that he could be later than he usually was if he sulked for too long. He snatched his black, fingerless gloves and pulled them on over his hands, prying the window further open to permit his escape. He grabbed the skateboard by the truck of it's wheels and pushed it slightly out the window until it balanced on the sill, following close after. He made sure to grab his iPod from the desk by the window, knowing he'd want to block out the world he'd once loved.

Connor swung his leg out first and ducked under the small gap, dropping his foot down to catch a ledge of siding that encircled his house. Scaling the side of the second story, Connor kicked off the wall and managed to land on the roof of the garage, reaching back up only to grab his faithful skateboard. This was clearly not his first time performing such a feat, as he continued along the sloping roof until he made his way down to street level. Connor hopped onto his skateboard and rolled off down the hill and away from his house, purposefully not turning around to look. He didn't want to see that place unless he had to, and as he rounded the corner he popped in his earphones, changing the track to In My Remains by Linkin Park. The screen on the iPod quickly changed to the Settings menu, and displayed a quaint little message: **Happy 17th Birthday, Connor!**

Angrily, Connor swiped the screen away with his thumb, grumbling at the falsely upbeat implications that this day was something to celebrate. On top of that, he didn't want to be reminded of his birth name. The iPod was a gift from his previous foster-parent, and it was something he cherished above most of his other possessions. Connor pocketed the nightmare-black cased device, and continued to roll down the sidewalk, ollie'ing onto a small ledge whenever someone passed him. He received many a friendly grin and vivacious wave, but to each greeting Connor maintained a stony disposition, looking straight ahead and keeping a blank face.

Connor watched as people came and went from storefronts, watched people laugh and hug, or stomp feet and turn away. He watched children throwing fits and couples kissing, he observed street performers wowing their audiences, he witnessed under-aged persons drinking from a paper bag, and watched as two girls were forced bodily from an antique shop. Connor quietly dismounted from his skateboard, kicking the end so it popped into his waiting hand. He proceeded to remove his earphones, not even flinching as the noise level crescendoed to a painful level in less than a second. The black-clad teen approached the three figures before him, listening intently to the burgeoning conversation.

"I don't give a damn how long you've been coming to my store. The point is I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to your kind," the owner was saying. The patrons within the store either didn't care what was happening or agreed, because no one was coming to these girls' defense. Connor listened to what the slighter girl was saying, taken aback by her choice of hair color: all the colors of the rainbow.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, you d#ckless sh#t?! That's discrimination on a level I know is illegal!" she shouted, and some passerby took the liberty to look closely at the two girls, noticing how their fingers were tightly intertwined.

"Skylar, just let it go, 'kay? We'll find somewhere else, sugar," the apple-red haired girl beside her spoke gently, clearly holding back strong emotions of her own. Her voice had a charming country twang, and he guessed she was from the apple orchard outside of High Pointe. As a survival skill from living on the streets most of his life, Connor knew how many levels of patience people possessed, and while the girl named "Skylar" had almost zero patience at the moment, the country one still had an impressive quantity of it.

"I will not let it go, Anna! You've been coming here for your grandma since you were 10, and this backwater hick thinks he can just tell you to f#ck off because you don't like guys? F#ck that, I'm not going to stand for that!" The wild-haired one was understandably distraught, and this topic was clearly a common recurrence in their lives. If he had to guess, Connor would say they'd only been together about a year, now, and that clearly had left some unresolved issues.

"Yes, you will. Get out of here, and don't never come back," he glared at both girls, clearly trying to intimidate them as he drew himself to his full six feet, towering over both adolescent girls. It was at this moment that Connor approached, coming at the group from the side and clearing his throat. In unison the three turned to face the black-clad boy, and while the shop owner looked confident the purple-haired girl, Skylar, was clearly waiting for Connor to agree with the shop owner.

"As it's illegal to say, 'NO HOMOS ALLOWED' in the shop window, the most you can do is politely find an excuse to which they have to leave, or swallow your self-righteous whining and let them be the paying customers they obviously want to be. They don't have to come here, but they do because they obviously find it companionable." Connor spoke matter-of-factly, and both girls' eyes shot wide open while the shopkeeper's narrowed like a venomous snake, and he approached Connor threateningly, rolling up his sleeves and putting his hand to his side, where a knife sat along with keys on an AC/DC key chain. At this distance, Connor could smell the alcohol wafting off the large figure.

"F*ggot-loving traitor -" was all he got out, because at that moment Connor stepped forward and jabbed his elbow into the larger man's jaw, pulling down on his collar and kneeing him in the groin before shoving him back and onto his backside. The man scrambled back up to his feet and charged, flicking open the knife and slashing madly. Connor took the slices to his arm, wincing as he felt the pain. The knife bit deep and ripped through Connor's sleeve, pulling out the seams and revealing the set of four deep cuts from a different kind of blade. Connor recovered quickly and his hand shot out straight in front of his body, the heel of his hand connecting with the man's nose and breaking it with a satisfying CRACK.

The shopkeeper came at Connor again, breaking Connor's own nose and catching him under the eye and on his other cheek. Connor put a stop to this onslaught by punching the man in the trachea, sending him reeling back and choking. This, of course, didn't stop the shopkeeper, and with blood pouring from his nose he charged once more, but this time at the two girls who'd backed away in horror. Connor moved to intercept, catching the man in his jaw, breaking it easily and then stomping on the man's knee as it buckled, and watched the man pass out. Connor was beginning to get a bit dizzy, but he had the presence of mind to call 9-1-1 in case no one else had, explaining the situation in slurred speech as blood loss took it's toll, and he fell back in the midst of his call, holding the torn fabric of his sleeve to his bleeding arm.

"Easy there, sugar. Y'all just relax, I'll finish yer call, 'kay?" The country twang was a bit fuzzy, but Connor nodded and let the grip on his phone relax, realizing now that someone had caught him as he'd fallen. Connor's mind went straight to his arm, where he knew the scars would be showing like white paint against the tan skin. It was the purple-haired firecracker that mentioned the scars, causing Connor to flinch at the accusatory tone in the stranger's voice.

"You're a cutter? Knew there was something about all that black."

"Skylar, don't be rude. Wait an apple-pickin' minute Ah've seen ya bufore...you're DC Cortez, ain't ya? I have ya in Ecology, fifth period, right?" The country girl was employing a tactic used by first responders and paramedics when dealing with still-conscious patients: "Keep 'em talking and distracted."

' _She must have been paying attention in school,_ ' he thought. DC merely shrugged helplessly, not able to think very clearly.

"Hang on...yeah, I know you! You used to hang around Snips, Rumble, and Seth almost everyday outside Al's Game Center!" Skylar exclaimed, adding a little wistfully, "You used to tutor me in Math." Those words were enough to pull Connor out of his torpor, and feelings of reproach overwhelmed his conscious. From the tone in Skylar's voice, Connor had obviously been a great help, and she'd gone back to struggling. Here was proof that Connor's failing himself was affecting others as well. He felt guilt in suffocating quantities, and looked at the rainbow-haired girl.

"Skylar...I'll help you again..." he said weakly, nodding slowly. Connor smiled a little as he spoke, though it looked more like a painful grimace.

"Hey, um...why'd you stop in the first place?" Skylar asked, biting her lip before looking up at Anna and shrugging her shoulders at what he perceived to be Anna's reproachful gaze.

"Dad...he sucks..." Connor smiled sadly at the girls beside him, shrugging his shoulders weakly, trying not to care too much.

"What? Last I heard, you and your father were getting along fine." Skylar meant to sound concerned, but to DC it sounded like false pity. He wasn't looking for pity (in fact he despised it) so his ever-present anger boiled over.

"Oh really? And what the hell do you know about it?" He snapped, forcing himself to stand upright and expertly hiding his wince. The girls tried to calm him, but he wasn't having it. Connor grabbed his skateboard and popped in his earbuds once more, "See you at school. You're welcome." With that he pushed off and was gone. He wanted to get out of there before the police came. Sure, they'd track him down eventually and get his statement, but that would take awhile because the law enforcement in their country was garbage.

Anna's eyes met Skylar's, and the rainbow-haired girl got a look of exasperation on her face, "You can't fix everyone, Anna," she began, but Anna's gaze remained resolute, "Okay, go ahead."

~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~

Connor found his friend at the usual place near Ford's Avenue, and greeted her with a fist bump. Their other friends had already arrived, Connor being the last.

"You're late, Cortez," the girl said, her violet eyes boring into his. Her hair was purple, but was nothing like the purple streak in Skylar's hair. This girl's hair was vibrant purple riddled with green streaks, and cascaded in two ponytails down to her middle back. Her leather studded boots made her look a bit like a dom, but if this put DC off he certainly wouldn't tell her about it. Her legs were clad in purple and green tights, with a black skirt being worn over them. She wore a purple top and black leather vest, also studded.

"I know, Ari, but I...I ran into a complication." Connor tried to dodge her unspoken question, grabbing a cigarette from the boy beside him. "Ari" wasn't buying it, however, and forced Connor's hood back, gasping at the bruises on his face and the broken nose. Not to mention the bandages on his arm.

"Connor Tseyi'nii tsoh!" Ari shrieked, taking his chin and jaw in her hand and gently maneuvering his head to get a better look, "What the hell happened?" Connor had winced as he'd heard his true name, something only Ari knew.

"I...had a disagreement with someone, Aria," he said weakly, not meeting her eyes as he tapped his finger on the top of his skateboard.

"No sh#t, Sherlock, I can see that. Who was it with, and why?" Aria demanded, stepping forward and lifting his head with surprising gentleness. Connor found it impossible to lie to her, and held up a hand to stop the oncoming tirade, only succeeding in revealing his damaged arm to her in full, "WHAT THE SH#T, CONNOR?!" She shrieked, her voice rising to a pitch painful to the human ears. Connor flinched away, trying awkwardly to hide his arm, but she was like lightning and grabbed it tight.

"Yeah...did I mention it was with the Gram from Gram's Antique Emporium?" Connor asked, entirely cowed. Aria's eyes widened even more and she rolled up his sleeve, quickly bandaging the wounds with some gauze from Pip's pack. Pip was a registered EMT after having spent two years taking special classes, and never went anywhere without a First Aid kit in his bag. Aria and Pip went to work taking care of the wounds, and Pip gave Connor and a nasal strip to straighten his nose.

"Connor Tseyi'nii tsoh, why in God's name would you ever get into a fight with Gram Yuri? He was in a biker gang for 20 years! You know the rumors! Those guys _killed_ people! Are you daft?" Aria was genuinely worried for him, something he hadn't known to be possible. Connor found himself unable to lie to her or hide the truth, so he took a deep breath and explained it all, exempting his daring escape from his second-story bedroom. Aria, Pip, and the other kid were good listeners, and after Connor finished they were all quiet for awhile, letting his words sink in. Unsurprisingly, it was Aria who first spoke.

"Are you gonna be okay?" the question was meant to be of many things, sort of a general question that enveloped both physical okay-ness and mental okay-ness.

"Yeah...I think so. I don't know if I would really say 'okay' or anything like that, but...I don't know. I think I will be, eventually...once I get out of that man's care." Connor sighed and sat down on the curb, Aria sitting beside him and handing him a paper bag with a bottle of alcohol in it. Connor took a grateful swig as Aria took a draft off his cigarette.

"I know what'll have you out of this funk," Pip piped up, his accent showing through as usual. The foreign exchange student had a gleam in his eyes, and his eyebrows wiggled at his implications.

"Triple dog?" the unnamed kid asked hopefully.

"Dude, who are you, even?" Connor cut in over the last part his question.

"Spike. That's my name. Happy?" he yanked the bottle out of Connor's hand and drank from it before handing it back.

"Spike? You're Tara's little brother, right?" Pip asked, sitting on Aria's other side. Spike nodded but said nothing.

"I don't have anything against Triple dog," Aria supplied, nudging Connor playfully. Connor smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Neither do I."

"I'm game," Pip smiled and bounced on his heels happily. The group of teens sat around for awhile longer, sipping the alcohol and smoking their cigarettes. Spike's demeanor didn't change from the angry one he'd adopted.

~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~{~}~~

 _ **A/N: I know it's been awhile since I touched this story, but I wanted to edit this chapter and at least make it readable. So here it is, revised to a degree that allows it to actually be read. Enjoy this Sneak Peek, even though I doubt Part Two will ever exist.**_

 _ **I've lost the drive to continue this story. Perhaps one day, down the road, but for the moment I've got other stuff to do. Like stories on my fictionpress account and preparing for vacation.**_

 _ **Love you all and thanks for being with me on this crazy ride!**_


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